SilllillifiPiiillBliliija 



>;!:. 



/. ♦.,>■> x\ 



^.^ 












•^^,^' 



<■ ' ') o .. * >'^ 



■?/■." 



0> '<:!. 



•''A V 



aV'- 






.^■% 



^:. .,N^ 






,0 o. 



^0 



"^^ .y 



.-i.-^' 






,0 o 



■^>. ,^^^ 



A^-^ 



-A" 



^^.^V^ 



A^' 



^■■'^, 






,0 o 



,#■% 



■> 'i^. 



^^^. 



' J. v^ 



\<^^ 



A^^' 



V ./>, 



v^" '^^ 



-...^ 



aC^ o, 






X^. .v^ 



N^^ 't^ 



- 



aX^^ 



,v-^^ ."^■• 






,- V 



.*^ '^. 



,*■ .- 



,0o. 






,0 O, 



•^. ,<v>^ 



'V- 



'''A V 



-*.'• 






\v- ■>> 






■'■'■■'■ .^ 



^■■". 



''V- v> 



o. .,-.',_ 'c- 



.^-^ -<> 






V ■ V ' . 



A 






-•^^ ,^ 



x:\-r' .^<^ = 





V * 


- ■^.- 


-^' 


: X^^ 












.>>^ •-... 



.ss^ 












V"-\< 



4- .>*w'ii. 



. N 






■I . 



i^/ ^^: 



• '^..^ 



/C>- 



"■*".- .^-^ 



■ V 



^/. y 



"/ c- 



%■ .^^ 



» ,'-f-ww'->k. 






•J- ,x' 



,^^ •'*. 



' .0 



^■■'-s 



,A 






>'\- .-^'• 



<^'h 



\. . 






,^^ ■'-> 



^■'K 






<S>^-r- 






,0 O^ 



\V 









.cri'' 



^>. c^ 



* ,.^^-. 'i*. 



. \- 



-./• \^ 






V. vV 



/, '';■ 






A'' -^^ 






'^.. c^^ 



\ 






^\' 



V ''^ s^^ 



^ %. x^ 



.^^ ^ 



•>^ .^■•'■■s- 















^.. o^ 









<:>- v.'^ 






.^^' % 



sV •/•. 



\V 



C^ U. 






■^ 






THE 



MOUNTAIN CHANT 



A NAVAJO CEREMONY 



Dk. WASHINUluN MAT'FHEWS, U. S. A. 



KXTKACT FROM THE FfFIH AXM A[, RKPORT OF THE BUREAU OF ETH.XOI.OiiY 



X 









WASHINGT(>]Sr 

aOVKRXMEXT PniNTTXU OFFICE 
18S.S 



522V) ^ 



y 

Y 



C1^ 



? r^ 



SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION BUREAU OF ETHNOLOGY. 



THE MOUNTAIX CHANT 

A NAVAJO CEREMONY. 



Dr. WASHINQTON MATTHEWS, U. S. A. 



371) 



CONTEXTS. 



r . 1 . Pane, 

lutioiluction ., .. 

Myth of the origin of dsilyulje (|,ival o^-. 

Ceremonies of tlsilyiclje qafal ,,.. 

First four days ,,^. 

Fiftiiiiay---- --'-^^iii--"!'^ ''"''!!;!;;;;!!!!; 41^ 

Sixth day ,., , 

Seventh day ,.,, 

Eighth day _,.,(, 

Ninth day (until sunset) ^.jD 

Last niglit ^.j. 

First dance (nahikai) ^;j., 

Second dance (great plumed arrow) 4;j;; 

Third dance ,.>- 

Fourth dance j.j,; 

Fifth dance (sun) j.j- 

Sixfh dance (standing arcs) j-.- 

Seventh dance i-.^ 

Eighth dance (rising sun) ^3^ 

Ninth dance (Hoshkawn, or Yiiccu') 431, 

Tenth dance (bear) 141 

Eleventh dance (tire) ^^j 

Other dances ,.., 

The great inctures of dsilyidje qacul ^ ^ 

First picture (home of the serpents) jj,; 

S'V'ond picture (yays and cultivated plants) 447 

Third picture (long bodies) 4-,, 

Fourth picture (great plumed arrows) 4- j 

Sacrifices of dsilyidje (pical ,- . 

Original texts and translations of songs, Arc 4-- 

Soiigs of seipience 47- 

First Song of t he First Dancers 4-^ 

First Song of the Mountain Sheeji 4 — 

Sixth Song of the Mountain Sheep j_-- 

Twelfth Song of the Mountain Slieeji j-^. 

First Song of the Thunder 45s 

Twelfth Song of the Thunder 45' i 

First Soug of tlie Holy Young Men, or Young Men Gods 4.-/) 

Sixth Song of the Holy Young Jlen 4,;il 

Twelfth Song of the Holy Young Men 4,5,1 

Eighth Song of the Young Woiiien who Become ISears 4i;| 

One of the Awl Songs 4,;, 

First Soug of the Exploding Stick 4,;,, 

East Song of the Exploding Stick 4,;.^ 

First Daylight Song 4,.^ 

Last Daylight Sons' ,r-. 

"^ =* 411.J 

y«l 



382 CONTENTS. 

Original texts and translations of songs — Continued. Page. 

Other songs and extracts 464 

Song of tbe Prophet to the San Jnau Ri v( r 464 

Song of the Building of the Darli Circle 4G4 

Prayer to Dsilyi' Neytini 465 

Song of the Rising Sun Dance 465 

Instructions given to tho akiiuiuili 466 

Prayer of the Prophet to his Mask 466 

Last Words of the Prophet 467 



NOTE ON THE ORTHOGEAPHY OF NAVAJO WORDS. 

The spelling of Navajo words in this paper is in accordauce with the alphabet of 
the Bureau of Ethnology : 

c^cft in chin; i^^ih in this; ^ = th in think; j=r in a;ui-c; q = German t/i in 
machen; ' shows that a vowel is aspirated ; the vowels have the continental sounds; 
ai is the only diphthong, and is like i in line; I is usually aspirated ; the other letters 
have the ordinary Engli.sh pronunciation. 



M 



ILLUSTRATIONS 



Page. 

Platk X. Medicine lodge, viewed from the south 418 

XI. Jlediciiie lodge, viewed I'rom the east 4'20 

XII. D.auce of nahikai' 4:^'J 

Mil. Firedauce 44-J 

XIV. Tho dark circle of lirauclies at sunrise 444 

XV. First dry painting 44() 

XVI. Second dry painting 448 

■ XVII. Third dry painting 4.'.0 

' XVIII. Fourth dry painting Ab'i 

FiGi'liE 50. Qastcei'lvi, from a dry iiaiuting of theliledji-qagal '.iUT 

ol. The (^'obolva, or jiluined wands, as seen from the door <>£ tlic medi- 
cine lodge 4'2'i 

iVi. Akaninili ready for the journey 4'24 

.')3. The great wood pile 4'i'.1 

r)4. Dancer holding up tho great plumed arrow 434 

.55. Dancer " swallowing" the great plumed arrow 434 

56. The whizzer, or groaning stick 43G 

57. Yucca haccata 440 

58. Sacrificial sticks (ke^an) 4.j'2 

59. The talking kethuwn (ke9a,n-ya]fi') io'i 

383 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT: A NAVAJO CEREMONY 



By Uu. ^VA,sIIr^;GTO^; :\Iattheavs, II. S. A. 



INTRODUCTION. 

1. Tbecereiuouy (ifdsilvuljo (j;if'al,oriiioiiiitaiii cliaiit — litciall\ , cliaiit 
towards (a place) witliin tlie mountains — is one of a large iinnilxn- i)]ae- 
ticed by the shamans, or medicine men, of the ^Navajo tiibe. I have 
selected it as tljc first of those to be described, because I have wit- 
nessed it the most ircquently, because it is the most interesting to the 
Caucasian spectator, and because it is the best known to the whites who 
visit and reside in and around the Navajo country. Its cliief interest to 
the stranger lies iu the various public performances of the last night. 
J. ike other great rites of the shauians, it has its secret ceremonies of 
many days' duration in the medicine lodge; but, unlike the others, it 
ends with a varied show in the open air, which all are invited to witness. 
Another ceremony which I have attended, and which the whites usually 
call the " Yaybicliy Dance" (Yebitcai), has a filial ])nblic exhibition 
which occupies the whole night, but it is unvaried. L'ew Europeans 
can be found who have remained awake later llian midnight to watch 
it. Such is not the case with the rite now to be described. Ilere the 
white man is rarely the first to leave at dawn. 

2. The ap()ropriateness of the name dsilyidje or tsilgitce — towards (a 
place) within the mountains — will be better understood from the myth 
than from any brief description. "Dsilyi"' may well allude to mountains 
iu general or to the Carrizo Mountains in particular, to the place iu the 
mountains (paragraphs 9 and 38) where tlie origtuator of these cere- 
monies (whom I often find it con\enient to call "[irophet") dwelt, or to 
thenameof the])rophet(par.41),or toall these combined. Qa^al signifies 
a sacred song or a collection of sacred songs. From the many English 
synonyms for song I have selected the word chant to translate qagal. 
In its usual signification hyuinody may be its more exact equivalent, 
lint it is a less convenient term than chant. The shaman, or medicine 
man, wlio is master of ceremonies, is known as qacali or clianter — el 
cantador, the JMexicans call him. In order to keep in mind his relatu;)u- 
ship to similar functionaries iu other tribe's I shall, from time to time, 
allude to him as the priest, tlie shanmu.or the medicine man, following 

5 KTH 25 :!*■'> 



386 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

the cxamiilc oldtlier authors. To all coicinonies of a character siiuihir 
to tlii.s the term (la^al is applicable. It would seem fnnii this that the 
Xavajo rcfianl the soiiff as the chief part of the ceremony, hut since 
the Ameri(!ans, as a rule, regard all Indian ceremonies as nu'rely dances 
and call them dances, I will, out of deference to a national i)rejudice, 
frccpiently refer to the ceremony as a dance. 

:i. Sometimes the collective rites and amusements of the last night 
are spoken of as ilnasjingo (pi^al, or chant in the dark circle of 
branches, from (7, branches of a tree; nan, surrounding, encircling; 
jij), dark ; and tjo, in. The name alludes to the great fence of pinon 
branches, erected after sunset on the last uight, to receive the guests 
and performers. I shall olten refer to this inclosure as the corral. Some 
white men call the rites I describe the "corral dance," but more usually 
they call them the " hoshkiYwn dance," from one of the minor perform- 
ances of the last night, the liackaniuea', or act of the Yucca haccata, 
a rite or drama which seems to particularly excite the Caucasian interest. 
To such nunor acts the terms inca' and alili aie a])plied; these may be 
translated dance, show, act, or exhibition. 

■1, The purposes of the ceremony arci vraious. Its ostensible reason 
for existence is to care disease; but it is made the occasion for invok- 
ing the unseen powers in behalf of the iieople at large for various pur- 
poses, particularly for good crops and abundant rains. It would a]>- 
pear that it is also designed to i)eri)etiiate tiicir religious symbolism. 
Some of the shows of the last night arc undoubtedly intended to be 
dramatic and entertaining as well as religious, while the merely social 
element of the whole affair is obvious. It is an occasion when the peo- 
l)le gather to have a jolly time. The patient )iays the exjienscs and, 
probably in addition to the favor and help of the gods and the praise 
of the ]iriesthood, hojies to obtain social distinction for his liberality. 

"). This, like other great rites of the Navajo, is of nine days' duration. 
Some of these rites may take place in the summer; but the great ma- 
jority of them, including this dsilyidje qai^'al, may be celebrated only 
in the winter, in the season when the thunder is silent and the rattle- 
snakes are hibernating. AVere they to tell of their chief gods or relate 
their myths of the ancient days at any other time, death from lightning 
or snake-bite would, they believe, be their early fate. 

C. 'While in New Mexico I sometimes employed a very liberal minded 
Navajo, named Juan, as a guide and informant. He had spent many 
years among Americans, Mormons, and Mexicans, and was, I imagined, 
almost perfectly emancipated front his "early bias." lie spoke both 
English aiul Si)anisli t'airly. On one occasion, during the montliof Au- 
gust, in the height of the rainy .season, I had liim in my study convers- 
ing with him. In an unguarded moment, on his part, I led him into a 
discussion about the gods of his people, and neither of us had noticed 
a heavy storm coming over the crest of the Zufii IMouutaius, close by. 
We were just talking of Estsaiiatlehi, the goddess of the west, when 



MiiTfiEus.) MYTH OF DSILVill.IE QAOAL. 887 

tbe liouse was shaken by a teirilic poal of tbiiuder. He rose at once, 
pale and evidenth' agitated, aud,\vbisperinglioarseIy, "Wait till Christ- 
mas; tliey are anyiy,*' he hurried away. I have seen many sneli evi- 
dences of the deep intliienee of tiiis superstition on them. 

7. AVhen the man (or the woman) who gives the entertainment con- 
cUides he is sick and that he can afford to call a shaman, it is not the 
latter who decides what i)articular rites are l)est suited to cure tlie 
malady. It is the patient and his friends who determine tiiis. Then 
they send for a man who is known to be skilled in |)erf()rmiug the 
desired rites, and it is liis province merely to do the work reipiired of 
Lira. 

8. Before beginning to describe the ceremonies it will be well to relate 
the myth acconnting for their origin. 

MYTH OF THE ORIGIN OF DSILYIDJE QACAL. 

9. JIany years ago, in the ueighborh(jod of i)sil_\ i--(ji)ibni, in the Car- 
rizo Mountains, dwelt a family of six: the father, the mother, two sons, 
and two daughters. They did not live all the time i?i one locality, but 
moved from place to place in the neighborhood. The young men hunted 
rabbits and wood rats, for it was on such small animals that they all sub- 
sisted. The girls spent their time gathering various wild edible si'cds. 

10. After a time they went to a. place called Tse'-bicaT (the Wings of 
the Itock or Winged Kock), which lies to the east of theCarrizo ilnunt- 
aius, on a jilaiu. When they lirst encamped tiiere was no water in the 
vicinity and the elder brother went out to see if he could liud some. 
He observed from the camp a little sandy hillock, covered with some 
vegetation, and he determined to see what sort of plants grew there. 
Arrived there, he noticed a spot where the grouinl was nu)ist. He got 
liis digging stick and proceeded tn make a hole in the ground. He had 
not dug long when the water suddenly burst forth in great abundance 
and soon tilled the excavation he had made, lie hastened back to the 
camp and announced his success. When they left the Carrizo ]\Iount- 
aius it was their intention to go to (/'epentsa, the La Plata IMountaiiis, to 
hunt for food, and their halt at Tse'-bicaT was designed to be tempo- 
rary only; but, now that they had found abniulance of water, the elder 
brother counseled them not to hasten on, but to remain where they were 
for a while. The spring he developed still exists and is known to the 
Navajo as (j!obiuakis, or the One-Eycd Water. 

11. The spring was some distance from the camp, and they had but 
one wicker water bottle; .so the woman, to lighten her labor, proposed 
that they should move their goods to the vicinity of the spring, as it 
was her task to draw the water. But the old man counseled that they 
should remain where they were, as mateiials for building were close at 
hand and it was his duty to erect the lint. They argued long about it; 
but at length the woman prevailed, and they carried all their property 



388 Tin; MOl'NTAI.V CHANT. 

down close to tlic spring. Tlie elder sou suggested that it would lie 
well to dig into the soft sandy soil, in order to have a good shelter; so 
the old man selected a sandy hillock, overgrown with grease-wood, and 
excavated it near one edge, digging straight down, so as to have a wall 
on one side. 

12. They Iiad a stone ax head, with a groove in it. Around this they 
bent a flexible twig of oak and tied it with the fibers of the yucca, and 
thus they made a handle. The lirst day after the spring was found the 
young men went out and chopped all day, and in the evening brought 
home four poles, and while they were gone the old man dug in the hill- 
ock. The next day the young men chopped all day, and at night re- 
turned with four more ))oles, while their father continued his digging. 
They worked thus for four days, and the lodge was linished. They made 
mats ot hay to lie on and a mat of the same material to hang in the 
doorway. They made n ats of tine cedar bark with which to cover them- 
selves in bed, for in those days the Navajo did not weave blankets such 
as they make now. The soles of their moccasins were made of hay and 
the uiijiers of yucca libers. The young nieu were obliged to go hunliug 
every day ; it was only with great labor they could keep the house 
su]iplic(l with tneat; for, as has been said, they lived mostly on small 
animals, such as could be caught in fall traps. These traps they .set at 
night near the burrows, and they slept close to the traps when the lat- 
ter were set far from home. They hunted thus for four days after the 
house was finished, while their sisters scoured all the country round iu 
.search of seeds. 

1.3. With all their work they found it hard to make a living in this 
place. The land was barren ; even rats and prairie dogs were sciirce, 
and the seed bearing plants were few. At the end of the fourth day 
they held a consultation, and the old man said they would do better to 
move on to the San Juan liiver, where food was more abundant, and 
they could trap ami gather seeds as they traveled. They determined 
to leave, and next morning broke camp. They journeyed on fill they 
reached the banks of the San Juan. Here they found abundance of 
tciltcin (I'l'uit oi' lUiux uroma(ica) and of grass seeds, and they encamped 
beside the river at night. 

14. Xext day they traveled up the stream to a place called Tse'cqaka, 
and here again they halted for the night. This jilace is noted for its 
dei>osits of nati\e salt. The travelers cut some out from under a great 
rock and lillcd with it their bags, made out of the skins of the squirrels 
and other small animals which they had captured. Thence they fol- 
lowed up the river to Tse'(jeza' (Uock Sticking Up), and thence to 
risyaqojbni (Beautiful Under the Cottonwoods), where they remained a 
day and killed two rabbits. These they skinned, disemboweled, crushed 
between two stones, bones and all, so that iiothing might be lost, put 
them into an earthen pot to boil, and when they were sufficiently cooked 
they added some ])owdered seeds to make a thick soup ; of all this they 



MAiTHEvvsl MYTH : THE JOURNEY TO (j'EPENTSA. 389 

iii;ule ;i hearty uieal. The Navajo then had Jieither horses nor asses; 
they could not carry stoue metates when they traveled, as they do now; 
they ground their seeds with such stones as they could liud anywhere. 
The old man advised that they should cross the river at this point and 
lie directed his sous to go to the river and look for a ford. Alter a time 
they returned and related that they had found a place where the stream 
was mostly knee deep, and where, in the deepest part, it did not come 
above their hips, aud they thought all would be able to cross there. The 
father named the hour of bihi^-ohigi (when it gets warm, i. e., about 10 
a. m.), on the morrow, as the time they should ford the San Juan ; so 
next morning at the appointed time they crossed. Tiu'y traveled ui) 
the north bank until they came to a small affluent whose source was in 
(f^ep^ntsa. Here thej- left the main river and followed the brancii untU 
night approached, when they made cainii. 

15. They moved on next day and came close to (peiientsa, to a soil 
covered with tracks of deer aud of other great animals of the chase. 
Here they encamped, and on the following morning the young men set 
out by different ways in the direction of the mountain to hunt ; but at 
night they returned empty handed. Thus they hunted four days unsuc- 
cessfully. Every day while his .sons were gone the old man busied him- 
sr'lf cutting down saplings with his -stone ax and building a house, aud 
the daughters gathered seeds, which constituted the only food of the 
family. As the saplings were abundant aud close to the camp, the old 
man built his house fast, and had it finished at nightfall on the fourth 
day, when his sons returned from their fruitless labors. They entered 
the lodge aud sat down. They were weary and hungry and their bodies 
were badly torn by the thorns and thick copse of the mountains. Their 
father spoke not a word to them as they entered; he did not (nen look 
at them ; he seemed to be lost in deep contem[)latiou ; so the young 
men said nothing, and all were silent. At length the old man looked 
u[) aud broke the silence, saying, "Atpilani cactcini!" (Welcome, my 
children.) "Again you have returned to the lodge without food. ^Vhat 
does it avail that you go out every day to huut when you bring home 
nothing? You kill nothing because j'ou know nothing. If you had 
knowledge you would be successful. 1 pity yon." The young men made 
IK) reply, but lay down and went to sleep. 

10. At dawn the old man woke liieiu aud said: " i}o out, my cliildren, 
and build a sweat-house, and make a lire to heat stones for the bath, 
and build the sweat-house only as I will tell you. ]Make the frame of 
four ditfereut kinds of wood. I'ut kac (Juui))er; iu the east, tse'israzi 
(mountain ujahogany) ia the south, (J'cstsi" (])ihon) iu the west, and 
awetsal (cliff rose) iu the north; Join them together at tlu^topaud cover 
them with any shrubs you (•hoose. Cjet two small forked sticks, tlu^ 
length of the forearm, to iiass the hot stones into the sweat-house, ami 
one long stick to poke the stones out of the fire, and let all these sticks 
be such as have their bark al)ra(lcd bv the aullers of the deer. Take 



3L0 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 



of :il! the iihuits on wliicli the deer most lilce to browse and s])read tlieni 
on the Ihxir of the sweat house, that we may sit on them." So tliey 
liiiill the lodge as he directed, and lit the fire and heated the stones. 
\\'hiU' they were transferring the hot stones from the fire to the lodge 
the old mini lirought out the mats which they used for bedding, and 
when all the stones had been put in he hung the mats, one on toj) of 
anolluM-, over the doorway. This done the three men went into tlie 
sudatory and sat down to sweat, uttering not a word. When they had 
perspired sullieiently t]u\v came out and sat down in silence until they 
were again ready to submit themselves to the beat. In this way they 
sweated themselves four times, keeping all the time a perfect silence, 
until they emerged for the last time, when the ohl man directed his 
daugliters to dig some soap root and make a lather. In this he bade 
his sons wash tiieir hair and the entire surface of their bodies well. 
■\Vheii they were tiioroughly cleansed, he sent tliem out to set twelve 
stone fall trai)s, a task which occu))ied all the rest of the day. For 
eacli trap they buried a Hat stone wilh its upper side on a level with 
the surface of the ground; on this tlu\v sprinkled a little earth, so 
that the rat wouhl suspect nothing; over this tliey placed another 
fiat stone, leaning at an angle and supported by a slender stick, to 
■which were attached berries of tlie aromatic sumac as a bait. That 
night the young men sat up very late talking with their father, ami 
did not lie down to sleep until after midniglit, when, as tlieir father 
directed, tliey lay side by side with their lieads to the (nist. 

17. The elder brotiier arose early, stirred the embers and made a fire, 
and soon the younger awoke. As they sat by the tire warming them- 
selves, the elder one said: "Younger brother, I had a dream in the 
night ; I dreamt I killed a buck deer." And the younger i-eitlied : 
" Elder brother, I, too, had such a dream, but tiiat which 1 kilKd was a 
doe." The old man heard their words and rose, saying, "It is well, my 
children ; go out and try again." They went out to visit their traps. 
The first one they came to had fallen ; they lifted the stone and found 
under it the body of a rat. So each one in tuin, as they visited it was 
fciiind to have fallen, ktlling in its fall some small animal; and they re- 
turned to the lodge with twelve little creatures for their food. Tlien 
thf old man told them to take their bows and arrows and hunt for deer. 
" Hunt," saiil lie, " to the east, the west, and the north, if you will, l)nt 
do not pass to the south of tlie lodge." With these iiistruclious tliey 
set out, each one in a difierent direction. The elder brother had not 
traveled far when he saw a herd of deer and shot one of the number, 
lie skinned it, cut it up, took the backbone, hide, ami tallow, and hung 
the rest in a tree. As he drew near the house, he saw Lis younger 
brother apiuoaching from a different direction with the hide and meat 
of a doe. When they entered the hut, the old man asked which of 
the (wo deer was shot first. The elder brother answered: "I think 
mine was, for I killed it early this nioruiug, soon after I left the house." 



jiATrincws.l MYTH: THE MYSTERIES OF THE DEER HUNT. 391 

"Well," .said tbe father, "tbi.s sldii of tlie first slain is mine; go and 
stretch it and dry it for nie with care." After this they went out hunt- 
ing every day for twelve days, but fortune seemed to have deserted 
them : they killed no more game ; and at the end of that time their sup- 
l)ly of meat was exhausted. Then the old man said : " It always takes 
four trials before you succeed. Go out once more, and if you kill a 
deer do not dress it, but leave it as it is." 

IS. On the following day they left the lodge together and did not 
take separate trails. Soon they killed a deer, and the younger l)rother 
said: "What shall we now do with it, since our father has told us not 
to skin it and not to cut it 11)1?" Tiie elder brother said : " 1 know not. 
Keturn to the lodge and ask our father what we must do." Then the 
younger brother returued to liis father and the latter instructed him 
thus : " Cut the skin around the neck ; then carefully take the skin from 
the head, so as to remove the horns, ears, and ail other parts, without 
tearing the skin anywhere. Leave such an amount of flesh witli the 
nose and lips that they will not sinivel and lose their shape when they 
dry. Then take the skin from the body, which skin will again l)e nune. 
One of you must take out the pluck and carry that in the hide to me; 
the other will bring the skin of the head and the meat. Let him who 
bears the pluck come in advance, and stoj) not till he comes directly to 
me, and he must hand it to me and to no one else." The younger brother 
went back and told all this to the elder. They dressed the deer as they 
were bidden ; the younger put the i)luck in the skin and went in ad- 
vance, and the elder followed with the venison and the skin of the head. 
When they reached the hogan, the father sard : '• Where is the atcai?" 
(liluck) and the younger said: "It is in the skiu." "Take it out." 
said the old man, '-and hang it on yonder mountain mahogany." The 
young man did as he was bidden. The father advanced with his bow 
and arrow and handed them to the elder brother, who jilaced the arrow 
on the string and held the bow. The old man jiut his hands on top of 
those of his sou and together they drew the liow. The former took 
carefid aim at the x^luck and let the arrow tly. It struck the ol>jcct 
and penetrated both heart and lungs so far that the point i)rotruded m 
tbe opposite side. Then the old man told his son to seize the arrow by 
the i)oiut and draw it completely throngii. which was done. Xext he 
made his son stand close to the jiluck, looking towards it, and while his 
son was in this position be blew on him in the direction of the pliu'k. 
"Xow," .said the father, "whenever yon want to kill a buck, even if 
there is neither track nor sign of deer in sight, you have only to shoot 
into tbe tse'iscazi (mountain mahogany, Cercocdrpiis pa rrijhli k s) and you 
will lind a dead deer where your airow strikes ; while if you wish to kill 
a female deer .vou w ill shoot your arrow into the awetsal (cliff rose, 
Coicania mexicana) and you will tind a doe there." When all this was 
done they prepared the skin of the head, under the old man's directions. 
To keep tbe skin of the neck o\w\\ they jnit into it a wooden hooj). 



3<J2 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

Tiiey sewed up the iiioiitli, left the eyeholes opeu, stufleil the skin with 
hay^ and huug it in a tree to dry, where it would uot get smoky or dusty. 
Tlicy cut places in the neck through which the hunter might see. The 
skin of the doe which the younger brother Lad killed some time before, 
and wliich had been tanned in the mean time, they painted red and gray, 
to make it look like the skin of an antelope. They prepared two short 
st icks, aliout tlie length of the forearm ; these were to enable the hunter 
to move with ease and hold his bead at the proper height when he crept 
ill disguise on the deer. During the next four days no work was done, 
(•xcc])t that the elder brother practiced in imitating the walk of the 
(leer. 

19. From the cam[) where these thiugs happened they moved to a 
place called Tse'lakai-ia' (White Standing Eock). Before they went to 
hunt or gather seeds, the old man desired that they should all help to 
build the hogiin (hut) ; so all went to work together, men and women, 
and the hogiin was completed, inside and outside, in four days. 

20. The morning following the conii)letion of the hogan, the father 
sent the young men out again, directing them, as belbre, not to go to 
the south. They went off together, and soon espied a herd of deer. 
The elder brother put on the deer mask and began to imitate the mo. 
tions of the animal, asking his younger brother what he thought of the 
mimicry. When the latter gave his approval, the elder brother said, 
" Steal round to the other side of the herd and when they see you they 
will come in my direction." He waited, and when he saw that his 
brother had got to the other side of the herd, he selected a big fat buck 
as his special object, and. began to move towards him, walking and 
pawing the ground like a deer, and rubbing his antlers against the 
trees. Soon the buck began to approach the hunter, but the latter kept 
his head constantly turned toward the deer the better to maintain his 
disguise. Presently the buck came quite close to the Indian, when the 
latter sped his arrow and brought the quarry down. They carried the 
meat home and the old man demanded that the meat and skin should 
all be his in payment for his advice. This was the third time he had 
advised them and the third time he had recei\ed a gift for his service, 
lie directed that the meat should be cut into pieces and hung in the 
trees to dry, and that the skin should be stretched and dried for his bed. 

L'l. Next day the elder brother desired the youugcr to stay at home, 
saying tliat lie would like to hunt alone. As usual, the old man warned 
him against the south and directed him to hunt in the country north of 
the hogan. He set out, accordingly, to the north; but he returned at 
night without any game. Again on the following nioniing he set out 
alone, and this time went to the west, as his father had directed. He 
hunted all day without success, until near sunset, when it was time for 
him to return. Then ho remembered what his father had told him of 
the shrubs that would always have deer for his arrow. Looking around 
he saw a clitf rose, into which he shot his dart, and at the same instant 



MATTHEWS.] MYTH I THE DISOISEDIENCE OF THE PROPHET. ;J93 

be observed a deer falliug iu the slirul). He rau to the spot and found 
a dead doe. "When lie had skinned and dressed it, he could discover 
no high tree at hand that he might hang it on to keep it safe from the 
wolves, so he laid the meat on the top of the cliff rose, spread the skin 
over it, stuck an arrow upright on the top of it, and went home. On 
his way he often said to liinisclf, '•'Why does my father bid me never to 
go to the south.'" He pondered nuich on the subject, and bel'ore he 
reached the hut he had determined to satisfy his cuiiosity and to go to 
the south on the tirst good opportunity. When he got home he told 
where he had laid the meat, and, fearing tiiut the crows or coyotes 
might get at it, he begged his brother to hasten and bring it in. When 
the meat came he asked that a piece might be broiled for bis lunch on 
the hunt next day. All that night the tliought of his father's prohibi- 
tion continued to haunt his mind and would not be dismissed. 

22. 0u the morrow, when he went forth on his hunt, his father uave 
him the usual injunctions, saying: '-Uunt iu any direction from the 
lodge that you will; but go not to the south." He departed as if he 
were going to the east; but when he got out of sight from the hogan 
he turned round to the south and pursued his way in that direction. 
He went on until he came to the San Juan Ifiver, and he forded it at 
a place a little above Beautiful Under the Cottonwoods, where they 
had crossed it before. He went on to a place called Tyel-sakaf. (Erect 
Cat-Tail Hushes) and thence to a place called Dsiskif (Clay Hill). Here 
he laid his deer skin mask and his weapons on the ground and climbed 
the hill to observe the surrounding country for game. But instead of 
looking south in the direction iu which he was going he looked to the 
north, the country iu which dwelt his people. Before him were the 
beautiful peaks of (fepentsa, with their iorested slopes. The clouds 
hung (tver the mountain, (he showers of rain fell down its sides, and all 
the country looked beautiful. And he said to the land, "Aqalanil"' 
(greeting), and a feeling of loneliness ;■ iid home-ickness came ovei' hiuj, 
and he wept and sang this song: 

> Tljat flowiug watc-rl Tljat llowiug water! 

Jly niiud wauilers across it. 
That broad water! Tliut tlowiiiir walrrl 
My miud wanders across it. 
That old age water! That llowiiiL; wiilcr ! 
My mind wauders across it. 

23. The gods heard his song and they were about to gratily his \\ ishes. 
He was destined to return to (|'e[)('ntsa, but not in the manner he most 
desired. Had he gazed to the south when he ascended the hill, instead 
of to the north, it might ha\e been otherwise. 

24. He wiped away his tears and went down to the place where he 
had laid his mask and arms at the foot of the hill. He put on his buck- 
skin coat and was just putting on his mask, but had not quite drawn 
it down over his head, when he heard a noise to the south and, looking 



y94 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

aromid, he. saw a great crowd ou horseback ridiug towards him. To 
see better he drew off his mask, and then observed that tliey were 
dividing into two lines as they advanced; a moment later he was sur- 
ronnded. The horsemen were of the tribe of Ute, a people whose 
langnage he did not understand. One young man rode up close to the 
Navajo, aimed an arrow at the breast of the latter and drew it to the 
head- but Just as he was about to release it an old man began to ad- 
dress the party in a loud voice and the young warrior lowered his ar- 
row aiul relaxed his bow. Tiien tlie si)eaker dismounted, approached 
the captive, and seized him by the arm. For a long time there was 
much loud talking and discussion among the Ute. Now one would 
harangue the party and tlu'u another would make a speech, but after a 
whih" the disi)ute ceased and the old man motioned to the Navajo to 
move on. Tliey nrade him trot while tliey followed him ou horseback 
in a seniic'ircle, so that they could guard him and watch his movements. 
Soon they came to Tyel sakaf ; shortly afterward they crossed the San 
Juan. That night they camped near (|"epentsa, where they watched 
him closely all night and gave him nothing to eat. They bound his 
I'cet firmly together, tied his hands behind his back, and threw an un- 
tanned buckskin over him before tlu'y lay down to sleep. 

2~>. They .set out on theij journey again early in the morning. At 
(^oin^eski' (Scattered Springs) they stopped for a little while to eat, but 
the oidy food tliey gave the Navajo was the full of his palm of service 
berries. When they arrived on t he south side of rotsosi (Narrow Water) 
they halted for the night and a number went out to hunt. Among them 
they secured two deer, or.e large and one small ; the feet of these tliey 
gave to their captive ibr his supper. Next morning they gave him a 
pie«e of liver, half of which he ate and the rest he kept. They moved 
on rapidly and rested for the night at Dsil nahoyal, where there was a 
spring. They had given him nothing to eat all that day, aud at night 
they gave him nothing; so it was well for him that be had secreted part 
of the liver. This he ate after dark. On the third morning he had to 
set out fasting and had to go ou foot as usual. About noon, however, 
one of the Ute took ]>ity on him and lent him a horse to ride, while 
the owner of the horse walked all the afternoon. That night they ar- 
rived at the bank of a large river, and here they gave him to under- 
stand, by signs, that this was the last river they would cross until they 
got home. Ijeyoiid the river there was nothing in sight but a great 
)ihiin. 

-(>. r>y the light of the morning, however, on the nest day, he dis- 
cei ned some mountains showing their points faintly above the northern 
horizon. To these the Ute pointed and motioned to him to go ahead. 
They did not follow him immediately ; but saddled up at their leisure 
while the Navajo went on. Though he was now for some time alone 
on the trail and out of sight of his captors, he knew that he could 
not escape : all arotiiid and l)etore him was a desert i)lain where he could 



MATTiiKws 1 MVTII : THE CAPTIVITY OF THE PKOPHET. 395 

not discover ti single hiding place ; so be trudged on, tired and hungry 
and sorrowing, and he wept all along the way. At noon tlicy gave liini 
anotliiT haudCul of berries. 

21. At night they came to a plain situated between lour mountains, 
one on the east, one on the south, one on the west, and one on the north, 
and here there was a great encampment of Ute, whose tents were scat- 
tered around in ditt'erent places on the i)lain. Theie was one tent 
whose top was painted black and whose base was luiinted white and 
wliich had a forked pole set in the gionnd in front of it. To this liis 
master, the old man who had saved his life and taken him by the arm 
on the occasion of liis cai>ture, led him, while the rest of the war party 
departed to their respective tents. The old nniii hung his own arms 
and accouterments on the pole, and the slave, tollowing his example, 
hung his deer skin mask and robe on the forks antl laid his crutches 
against the pole, and he prayed to the head of the deer, saying: 

WlitMiever I li:ivi> aiipealeil t" you, ymi have lK-l[ic'd me. my pet. 
Once you were alive. :ny pet. 
Take rare that I dn not ilie, my pet. 
Wat eh over me. 

^Yhcn he had finished his prayer an old man came and danced around 
him, and when the latter hail done an old woman api)roached with a 
whistle in her hand aiul she whistled all around him. This was foi' joy 
because they had capttireil one of an alien tribe. Then his master mo- 
tioned to him to go into the tent. Here he was given a large Itowl of 
l)erries of which he ate his fill, and he was allowed to lie down and 
.sleep undisturbed until morning. 

28. Next morning the Ute began to enter the tent. They came one 
by one and in small groups until after a while there was a considerable 
crowd ])resent. Then they gave the Navajo to understand by signs 
that they wished to know for what puri)ose he wore the nnisk and the 
buckskin. He answered that lie used them for no particular jmrpose, 
but only for a whim. They repeated the question three tinu's very 
pointedly and searchiugiy, but he continued to unike evasive replies. 
The fourth time they addressed bini they charged him to tell the trntl. 
and speak quickly, reminding him that he was a piisoner whose life 
was in the hands of his captors and telling him that if he did not dis- 
close the use of his mask ami robe he would lie killed before sunset. 
while if he revealed the secret his life would be spared. He pondered 
but a short time over their words and determined to tell them the truth. 
8o he explained to them the use of the ma.sk and the robe in deceiving 
the deer and told the wonderful ])owerhe had of getting game by shoot- 
ing into certain bushes. At dark they sent in two young men to be 
initiated into his mysterie.s. He began by giving them a full account 
of all his father had done and all he had shown him; he then taught 
them how to build the sweat-house, how to make the mask, how to 
shoot the pluck, and how to walk like a deer, and he made them jirac- 



30G THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

ticc till' walk ami the motions of tlie animal. All this occnpietl eleven 
•lays. 

29. On the twelfth day the Ute went out to hunt, leaving few nieu 
in camp. There was a small inclosure of brush wood close to the tent; 
in it were two liisili poles on which skins were dressed. His master 
left him, that day, two skins to prepare, and he set to work at them 
and labored hard scraping and rubbing them until about Doon, when 
he felt hungry and went into the tent to see if he could find anything 
to eat. lie opened a bag and tbuud it to contain dried meat; he put 
some of this on the coals and sat down to wait till it was done. As he 
watched the meat cooking he heard a noise at the deer skin door of the 
tent and, looking up, he beheld an old woman crawling in on her hands 
and knees. She passed once around the fire and went out at the door 
again, but before she disajjpeared she turned her head and addressed 
him, saying: '• Jly grandchild, do something for yourself." He paused 
a moment in wonder at the strange vision he had seen and the strange 
words he had heard, and then he rushed out of the tent to follow his 
visitor and see who she might be. He went around the tent four times; 
he gazed in every direction ; but no one was to be seen. During the 
rest of the day he worked i)Ut little. Occasionally he took up a stone 
and rubbed the hides; but most of the time be walked and loitered 
around, busy with his thoughts. 

oO. After sunrise the hunters returned with an abundance of meat. 
They came to the great lodge where the master of the Navajo dwelt; 
they extendeil its circumference by removing the i)egs at the bottom; 
they stored tlie goods of the owner away at the outer edge, so as to 
leave a clear space in the center, and made everything ready for the 
reception of a large number of guests. After dark a great number 
gathered in the tent and the captive was ordered by his master to bring- 
some water. He took two wicker bottles to a neighboring spring, filled 
them, and laid them ou the ground beside the sjjring, while he went to 
gather some plants to stittk into the mouths of the bottles as stopples. 
As he went he heard a voice saying " Hist!" and looking in the direction 
whence it came he saw a form sitting in the water ; it wore a mask like 
the head of a great owl and it was smoking a pipe. When he turned 
towards it, it said, '' Von walk aiound like one without sense or knowl- 
edge. \^'hy don't you do something for yourself? ^yhe^ next you hear 
my \()ice it will be well for you if you walk towards it." 

31. The voice ceased and the form of the owl man vaL»ished. Then the 
Navajo put thestopi)les into the vessels and carried them back. When 
he returne<l be observed that two large dogs were tied to the door, one 
on each side, and that three doors had been added to the lodge during 
his absence, so that now there were four doors covering the doorway. 
When he entered he found the lodge filled with Ute and he saw four 
bags of tobacco and four [)ipes lying near the fire, one at each car- 
dinal point of the compass. He observed a very old man and a very 



MATTHEWS 



MYTH: TIIF. COl'XCIL AXn THE SENTENCE. 



397 



old woinau seated at tlie door, one on each .side. A cord tied to tlieold 
woman j)assed round tlie edge of the lo<lge on one side, behind the 
spectators, to the west, and anotlier cord, tied to the man, passed ronnd 
on the opposite side of the hjdge. His master bade him sit (h)\Tn in 
tlie west, and when he was seated one of the coids was tied to his wrists 
and one to his ankles, and thus he was secured to the old pair. 

o2. Now he feared more than ever for his safety; he felt sure that his 
captors contemplated his death by torture. The [lipes were lit and the 
council began. The talking in the strange 
tongue that he could not understand had 
busted long into th'e night, when he fan- 
cied that he heard the voice of the Yebit- 
cai (Anglicized, YaybichyorGay-bi chy) 
above the din of human voices, saying 
'•hu'hu'hu'hu" iu the far distance. He 
strained his attention and listened well, 
and after a while he felt certain that he 
lieard the voice again nearer and louder. 
It was not long until the<'ry was repeated 
for the third time, and soon after the cap- 
ti\e heard it once more, loudly and dis- 
tinctly, immediately to the west of the 
lodge. Then there was a sound as of 
footsteps at the door, and tlie white light- 
ning entered through the smoke hole and 
circled around the lodge, hanging over 
the heads of the counc'l. But the Ute 
heard not the voice which the Navajo 
heard and saw uot the vision he beheld. 
.Soon the Yaybichy (Qastcei'lci) entered 
the lodge and standing on the white 
lightning, said: "What is the matter 
with you, my grandchild ? You take no 
thought about anything. Something you 
nuist do for yourself, or else, in the morn- 
ing you will be whipped to death — that 
is what the council has decdded. I'nll 
out i'our pegs from the bottom of the tent, push it ojien there, and 
then you can shove things through." The Navajo answered, '-How 
shall I do it? See the way I am tied! I am poor! See how I am wound 
up 1"' But Qastcee^'i again said : •'When you leave, take with you those 
bags fdled with embroideries and take with y(ni tobacco from the pouches 
near the fire." Scarcely had (^tastcei^lci disappeared when the Navajo 
heard a voice overhead, and a bird named ipjccbfi Hew down through the 
smoke hole, hovered four times arouud the lodge over the heads of the 
Ute, and departed by the way it had entered. In a moment after it had 




I-"I<^ .'il). Qa^tet-elci. from a dry ji; 
c.fllii- kl.-.l.ii(ia',;il 



398 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

<li.sai)i)eareil a few of the Ute began to uod aud close their eyes; soon the 
otheis showed sigus of drowsiness; some stretched themselves out on 
the ground overpowered with sleep; others rose aud departed from 
time to time, singly aud in little groups, to seek their lodges and repose 
there. The last to drop asleep were the old man and the old woman 
who .'^at at the door; but at leugth their chins fell upon their bosoms. 
Then the jS'avajo, fearing no watchers, went to work aud loosened the 
cords that bound him ; he lifted, from the iuside, some of the pegs which 
held the edge of the tent, aud shoved out the two bags of embroideries 
which Qastceel9i had told him to take. Tassing out through the door 
of the lodge, where he found both the watchdogs sound asleep, and 
taking with him the cords with which he had been tied and some of 
the tobacco, he went round to the back of the lodge, where he had put 
the bags; these he tied with the cords in such a mauuer that they would 
make an easily balanced double bundle. Ue shouldeied his bundle and 
was all ready to start. 

33. At this moment he heard, at a little distance to the south of 
where he stood, the hoot of au owl. Instantly recollecting the words 
of the owl like form which he had encountered at the spring at night- 
fall, he set off in the direction from which the call proceeded. Ho had 
not walked far until he came to a precipitous bluff formed by two branch- 
ing caiions, and it seemed at first impossible for him to proceed farther. 
Soon, however, he noticed a tall spruce tree, which grew beside the 
precipice from the foot to the summit, for the day had now beguu to 
dawn and hecould seeobjects more clearly. At this juncture Qasteeelgi 
again appeared to him ami said: "How is it, my grandchild, that you 
are still here? Get on the toi) of that spruce tree and go down iuto 
the canon on it." The Navajo stretched out bis hand to seize the top 
of the tree, hut it swayed away from his grasp. " See, my grandfather," 
he said to Qastceelci, "it moves away froui nie; 1 cannot reach it." 
Then Qastc^iil^i flung the white lightning around the top of the tree, 
as an Indian flings his lasso around the neck of a horse, and drew it 
in to t lie edge of thv' clift'. "Descend,' he commanded the Indian, "and 
when yon reach the bottom take four sprays from the tree, each from ', 

a different part. You niay need them in the future." So the Xavajo 
went down, toolc the four sprays as he was bidden and put them under 
his robe. 

31. At the base of the bluff he again met (Jastceiilyi, and at this 
moment he heard a noise, as of a great and distant tumult, which seemed 
to come from above and from beyond the edge of the cliff whence they 
had descended. From moment to moment it grew louder aud came 
nearer, and soon the sounds of angry- voices could be distinguished. | 

The Ute had discovered the flight of their captive and were in hot i)ur- 
suit. "Y(mr enemies are coming for you," said the divine one; "but 
yonder small holes on the opposite side of the caiiou are the doors of 
my dwelling, where you may hide. The bottom of the cafion is strewn 



MATTHEWS) MYTH: TlllO FLIGHT OF TUF rKOl'llFT. o'j'.) 

with large rocks and falleu trees; it would take voii iimeli time and 
bard labor to get over these if I did not help yon; but 1 will do some- 
thing to make your way easy." As he sai<l this he blew a strong breath, 
and instantly a. great white rainbow sjianned the canon. The Navajo 
tried to step on this in order to cross, but it was so soft that his feet 
went through ; he could not step on it. Qastceelci stood beside him and 
laughed at his fruitless attempts to get on the rainbow. After he had 
enjoyed this sport suftieiently the ye (Anglicized, gay or yay) blew 
another strong breath, when at once the rainbow became as hard as 
ice and they both crossed it with ease. When they reached the opposite 
wall of the canon Qasteeijlei pointed to a very small hole in the clifl' and 
said, "This is the door of my lodge; enter!" By this time the shouts of 
the Ute sounded very loud in the ears of the terrified fugitive and it 
seemed to him that his pursuers must have reached the edge of the 
opposite cliff, where they would not be long before they ^yould see him ; 
still, hard as he tried to enter the cave, he could not succeed ; the hole 
was not big enough for him to put his head in. The Yaybichy I'oared 
with laughter and slapped his hands together as he witnessed the ab- 
ject fear and the fruitless eflbrts of the Navajo. When he had laughed 
enough he blew on the little hole and it spread instantly into a large 
orifice, through which they both entered with ease. They passed thiough 
three rooms and stopped in the fourth. Here Qastceelf^a took tiie bags 
from the back of the Navajo, opened them, and <lrew from them some 
beautifully garnished clothing — a pair of moccasins, a pair of long- 
fringed leggings, aud a shirt. He arrayed himself in these and went out. 
leaving the Navajo in the cave. As soon as his rescuer was gone the 
fugitive heard loud noises without and the sound of many angry voices, 
which continued for a long, long lime. x\t last they died away and were 
heard no more. The Ute had tracked him to the edge of the cliff wlu're 
he got on the tree; but there they lost his trail and searched all tlie 
neighborhood to see if they could regain it; hence the noises. When 
all was silent Qastceel§i returned and said, " Your enemies have dei)arted ; 
you can leave in safety." So, taking a tanned elk skin to cover his liack 
and a pair of new moccasins to protect his feet, the Navajo set out 
from the cave. 

35. It was nightfall wheu be emerged. lie turned his face in tiie di- 
rection of his home and walked rapidly all the night. As day dawned lie 
began to feel hopeful ; but, ere the sun rose, distant sounds, which giew 
louder and louder, reached his ear. He knew them to be the voices of 
his pursuers aud again he became sorely afraid. He hurried on and 
came near the foot of a higli isolated pinnacle of rock, whose top ap- 
peared to be inaccessible. Glancing to the summit, however, he behi'ld 
standing there ablack mountain sheep. Thinking that this singular vision 
was sent to him as a sign from the yays (gods) and boded well for him, 
be came to the base of the rock, when the sheep addressed him, saying: 
"My grandson, come around to the other side of the rock and you will 



400 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

find a place wbciv yoii may ascend.'" He went aiound a.s he was bid- 
den and saw the cleft in the rock, but it was too narrow for hlui to 
climb in it. Then the sheep blew into the cleft and it spread out so wide 
that he entered it easily and clambered to the summit. Here he found 
the sheep standing in four tracks, marked or sunken in the rock, one 
hoof in each track, and under the center of his body was a smallbole in 
the rock. Into this hole the sheep bade him enter; but he replied that 
the hole was too small. Then the sheep blew on the hole audit spread 
so wide open that both the man and the sheep entered easily and de- 
scended into the heart of the rock. Here there were again four apart- 
ments ; two of them were blue and two were black ; rainbows extended 
in all directions through them. In the fourth room, which was black, 
the sheep left the Navajo to rest, and departed. Soon the fugitive 
heard, as on the previous day, when he lay hidden in the cave of Qas- 
tceiik;!, the voices of the angry Ute calling and haranguing all around 
the rock, and he continued to hear them for a very long time. Soon 
after the clamor ceased the sh(!cp returned to him to notify him thathis 
enemies had -withdrawn and that he could set out on his journey again 
without fear. 

36. He journeyed homeward all the night, and when daylight began 
to appear he found himself on the banks of the stream where the Ute 
slept the night before they reached their tents, when they bore him 
homo a captive. Here again he heard in the distance the voices of his 
])ursuers and lie hastened his steps. Presently he met a little old man 
sitting on the ground and cleaning cactus fruit. The old man hat} a 
.sharp nose, little bright eyes, and a small moustache growing on each 
side of his upper lip. At once the Navajo recognized him as the Bush- 
lat {Xcotoma mc.vicana). The latter asked the traveler where he came 
liom. "Oh, I am just roaming around here," was the answer. But the 
rat, not satisfied, repeated his question three times, in a manner which 
gave the Navajo to understand that his answer was not credited. So 
at la<t he answered truthfidly that he was a Navajo who had been capt- 
ured by the Ute, and that he was fleeing homeward from his captors, 
who were at that moment close behind him in pursuit. "It is well," 
said the rat, " that you have told me this, for I think I can save you. 
On yonder hillside there is a flat rock, and round about it are piled 
many little sticks and stones. It is ray home, and I will guide you 
thither." He led the Indian to the rock and, showing him a small hole 
under it, bade him stoop low and i)lace his head near the hole. As the 
Navajo obeyed the rat blew a strong breath on the hole, which at once 
opened wide enough to let the visitor in. The rat followed immediately 
l)ehind him as he entered. Inside of the den there were an old woman, 
two young men, and two young women. These constituted the family 
of the Bush-rat, who left the den as soon as the stranger was safely 
housed. Soon the voices of the pursuing Ute were again heard around 
tlie rock and at the mouth of the den, and the Navajo sat a long time 



HiTiiiE»>] MVTil: MARVELOrS I.\X'!1)EM\S OF THE FLIGHT. 401 

ia silence listening to tlieiu. After a wbile tlie rat -woman said to Iiim, 
" You seem to be tired and hungry. Will you have something to eat ?" 
and lie answered, " Yes; I am very hungry and would like some food." 
On hearing this she went into one corner of her dwelling, where were 
many chips and bones and shells of seeds and skins of fruits, and she 
brought him some of these and olfered them to him ; but nt tliis moment 
the wind god wiiispered into his ear and warned liim not to partake of 
the refuse; so he said to the woman, "My mother, 1 can not eat these 
things.'' Then she went to another corner of the den, where there was 
another pile of debris; but again the wind god prompted him and auain 
he refused. After this she visited in turn two otlier ])i]es of trasli in 
the corners of her lodge and tried to make him accept it as food, l>iit he 
still rejected it. Now, while he had been sitting in the lodge he liad 
not failed to look around him, and he had observed a long row of wicker 
jars standing at oue side. At oue end of the row w;is a lilack vessel 
and at the other end a white vessel. When she at length asked liim, 
'•AVhat food is it that you would have, my son ?" the wind god wiiis- 
pered to him, "Ask her for that which is in the jars at tiie end of the 
row," aud he replied, "I will take some food from tlie blade jnr and 
some from the white jar." She removed the stop)des Irom th(^ jars. 
From the black vessel she took nuts of the piilon and frnit of tlie yucca 
aud fiom the wliite vessel she loolc cherries and cactus fruit, all of wliicli 
he received in tiie folded corner of his elk robe, lie was just about to 
))artake of some of the nice fruit when again he lieard the low voice of 
the wind god. This time it said, "Eat not the food of the lats in the 
home of the rats, if you wouhl not become a rat; wait till you go oat 
to night." Much as he longed for the food, after hearing this, he tasted 
it not, but held it iu the fold of the elk skin. Late in the day they were 
all astonished by hearing a loud rattling uoise at the mouth of the cave, 
and, looking iu that direction, saw the end of a big stick, which was 
thrust viciously from time to time into the opening and poked arouud 
iu different directions ; but it was not long enough to reach to the place 
where they sat. "What is that?" said the woman. "Oh," answered the 
Navajo, "that is the Ute, who have trailed me to this hole aud hooe 
to kill me by poking that stick in here." The old rat watched from a 
secret place outside all the actions of the Ute, and when he came home 
at night he asked his family if the stick had hurt auy of them. " We 
saw ouly the end of it," tliey reiilied. He theu turned to tlie Xavajo 
aud said, "Your pursuers have disappeared; you may go out witliout 
fear." 

37. He trudged wearily on all uight, and at dawn he was beside the 
high volcanic rocks at ^otsosi, auolher place where his captors had 
halted with hiin. There is oue place where the rocky wall is quite 
smooth. As he was passing this place he heard a voice saying, "Sli!" 
He looked all around him, but saw nothing that could have made the 
sound. He was about to pass on when he again heard the voice, and, 
5 ETH 20 



402 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

looking aruiiiMl, Le aj;;iiii siiw no oue. The foiiitli time that this hai)- 
peuetl, however, he observed iu the smooth part of the rock a door 
stauding 0|)eii and a little auiuial called Klejatciui lookiuff out at hiiu. 
As he stood gazing at the sharp nose and the bright eyes the distant 
voices of his pursueis soniided again in his ears and the little animal 
bade him enter and hide himself. As the Navajo entered the Kleyateini 
passed out ami closeil the door behind Lim. The fugitive was not long 
in his place of concealment when tlie clamor made by the foiled pur- 
suers was again heard, but it ceased sooner than usual. It was not yet 
sunset when tlie little animal returned to aunouuce that the Ute liad 
gone from the neighborliood. When the Navajo stepped out of the hole 
in the rock, Kleyateini jiointed out to him the mountains in which his 
home lay and counseled him to travel directly towards them. 

38. He pursued his way in the direction indicated to bim all night, 
and at break of day he found himself walking between a pair of low 
hills of clay wliich stood close together, and once more he heard behind 
him the voices of his enemies and the trampling of their horses. But 
now his good friend Qastceiil§i appeared to him and said to him: "My 
grandciiild, are you still here f Have you come only thus far!" "I am 
here," cried the Navajo, "and oh, my grandfather, 1 could do uo better. 
Look at my limbs! Sec how sore and swollen they are ! I am exhausted 
and feel that I cannot llee much farther befoi-e my enemies." "Go, 
then," said Qastceeici, "to that hill which is the farther from us and 
climb to the top of it ; but, when you are taking the very last step which 
will place you on the summit, shut your eyes as you make that stop." 
The Navajo hastened to the hill, and, weary as he was, he soon 
ascended it. As ho lifted his foot to take the last step he closed bis 
eyes, as the yay bad bidden him. When be felt bis foot again on the 
earth be o[)ened bis eyes, and lo ! instead of having a little hill under 
his feet, be stood on the summit of a great mountain peak, seamed witli 
deep canons, bordered with rugged rocks, and clothed with great for- 
ests of pine and spruce; while far away on the plain at the foot of the 
mountain — so far that he could scarcely discern them — were bis bafded 
pursuers, and beside him stood Qastctjelgi. The latter pointed out to 
him many familiar places in the distance — tbe valley of the San Juan 
and Dsilyi'-qojoni (Beautiful in tbe Mountains), where he and bis peo- 
])lc first lived. He rested securely on tbe mountain top all day. 

39. At sunset be went on bis way again. When daylight began to 
ajipear he crossed the San Juan. Soon after, while journeying on over 
an open plain, be once more beard tbe Ute on bis trail. He now felt 
very sad and hopeless, for bis limbs were so stiff and swollen that 
every motion gave him pain and he could hardly drag himself along. 
But at this moment he became conscious that he was not alone, and 
glancing to one side he saw Niltci, tbe wind god, walking with bim. 
And Niltci brought a great dark whirlwind, which roared a moment be- 
side them an<l then buried its point in the ground and dug a deep bole 



MATTiiEws,] MYTH: THE UlfeCOMFlTrKE OF 1118 I'l'RSUERS. 403 

there; it dug a cavern witli four diainbers. Then dark clouds gatliered 
mid rain began to fall. "Have .\ou anything with jou that may help 
you.'" asked the yod. '• I have nothing," said the Navajo, "but four 
siirays of spruce, which the Yaybiehy bade uie pluck from the tree on 
which I. descended into the canon (he night 1 left tlie Utc eanip." 
"They ^vill do," said the wind god. "Make quickly four balls of uiud 
and thrust through each ball a twig of the .spruce, and lay them ou the 
ground so that the toi>s of the twigs will point towards your enemies.'' 
The Xavajo did as he was commanded. Then Niltci blew the twigs and 
mud balls in the direction of the i>ursuers ami told the Xavajo to de- 
scend into the retreat which the whirlwind had formed. lie went dow ii 
and rested secure, while he heard overhead great peals of thunder, the 
loud rushing of the tempest, and the heavy pattering of euornious hail- 
stones, to bring which the mud balls had been made. The uoises of the 
storm died away, and about midday Niltci came iuto the cave and said 
to the man: "Come forth; your enemies have been dispersed. Jlany 
have been killed by the hail, and the rest have gone towards their 
homes." Then the Navajo came uj) out of the ground and set out in the 
direction of his ohl home at Dsilyi'-qojoin. 

40. It was about suuset when he reached the top of the mountain. 
The suow begau to fall heavily and a strong wind began to blow. He 
walked on to the westeru brow of the mountain, where there was a great 
precipice. Here the storm blew with such vi(dence that he could scarcely 
stand, and yet the precipice was so steep that he did not see how he 
could get down. But soon, as on a former occasion of this kind, he 
discovered a spruce tree which gn-w against the side of the precipice, 
and at the same time Qastcei'h;! ajipeared to him again aiul directed 
him to go down on the spruce tree. lie did so, and when he reached 
the bottom he found the yay there awaiting him. He addressed 
(.{astceely.i : " Oh, my grandfather, I am tired and sore and sleepy. I 
would like to lie down under this tree and slee]>." But the god answered,. 
" Go, my grandchild, to yonder tire and rest," and he pointed to a distant 
gleam ou the side of a mcuntain which lay beyond a very deep valley. 
" No, my grandfather," cried the Navajo, " I am weary and my limbs aro 
sore and weak; I can not travel so far." "1 will help you," said the 
yay, and as he spoke he spanned the valley witli a Hash of lightning, 
over which he led the man to the distant mountain. They reached it 
at a point close to the tire; but the moment they stood again on the firm 
earth Qastceelgi and the fire vanished. The man wa.s bewildered and 
at a loss what to do. He walked around the mountain a short distance 
and then changed his mind and walked back to the jilace from which 
he started. Hei-e he found (Jastcci'lci awaiting him. The yay spoke 
not a word, but pointed down into the valley and led the way thither. 
At the bottom of the valley they came to a great hole in the ground; 
the yay pointed in and agaii. led the way. As they advanced into the 
cave the air grew warmer. In a little while they discovered a bright 



404 THE MOUXTAIX CHANT. 

file on which there was no wood. Four pebbles lay ou the groinid to- 
gether: a black pebble iu the east, a bine one iu the sonth, a yellow 
one in the we.st, and a white cue iu the uorth; from these the flames 
i.s.sned forth. Around tbe tire lay four bears, colored and placed to cor- 
respond with the pebbles. Wlien the str.iugers approaclied tlie fire 
the bears asked them for tobacco, and when the former replied that 
they had none the bears became angry and tlirice more demanded it. 
When tlie Navnjo fled from the Ute camp he bad helped himself from 
one of the four bags which the council was using and had tnkei) a 
pipe, and Hiese he had tied up in his skin robe; so when the fourth 
demand was made he filled the pipe and lighted it at the fire. He 
handed the pipe to the black bear, who, taking but one whift', passed it 
to the blue bear and immediately fell senseless. The blue bear took 
two whiff's and passed the pipe, when he too fell over in a state of un- 
consciousness. The yellow bear succumbed after the third whiff', and 
the white bear, iu the north, after the fourth whiff'. Now the Navajo 
knocked the ashes and tobaccoout of his pipe and rubbed the latter ou 
the feet, legs, abdomen, chest, shoulders, forehead, aud mouth of each 
of the bears in turn, aii<l they were at once resuscitated. He rei)laced 
the pipe iu the corner of his robe. When the bears recovered they 
assigned to the Navajo a place on the east side of the fire where he 
might lie all night, and they brought out their stores of corn meal and 
tciltcin aud other berries and offered them to him to eat; but Qastceel^i 
warned him not to touch the food and again disappeared. So, hungry 0: 

as he was, the Indian lay down snpperless to sleep. When he woke 
in the morning the bears again off'ered food, which he again declined, 
isaying he was not liungry. Then they showed him how to make the 
l)ear kethawns, or sticks to be sacrificed to the bear gods, and they 
drew from one corner of the cave a great sheet of cloud, which they 
unrolled, and ou it were painted the forms of the yays of the cultivated 1 < 

plants. As he departed the bears said, "There are others in these 
parts who have secrets to tell you. Yonder is Tsemistci, where manj 
dwell.'' So he set forth for TsenAstci (Circle of Eed Stones.) 

41. As he passed down the valley he heard a loud rushing noise be 
hind him, and looking around he beheld a tornado. The air was filled 
with logs aud uprooted trees, borne along by the great storm. It came 
nearer aud seemed to be advancing to destroy him. He was terrified 
and cried out to the storm: "CiyMcce, Dsilyi' Neyani. Qn'ila^^i?" ("'Tis 
I, Beared Within the Mountains. Who art thou ?") The tempest recog- 
nized him and subsided, and in its place appeared four men in the shape 
of the glb'i or weasel. The four weasel men showed him how to make 
the glo'i-bikecan, or sacrificial sticks of the glo'i. What name the Nav- 
ajo bore before this time the ancient tale does not tell us; but from 
the moment he said these words he was called among the gods Dsilyi' 
Neyiiui, and was afterwards known by this name among his [leople. 



MATTHEWS.) MYI'H ! THE NAME OF THE PKOPHET. 405 

42. After this adventure lie contiuued ou hi.s way to T>eiia.stci. He 
had uot journeyed far wlien he met the wind god, who .said to him: 
•• Those whom you will meet at Tsenastci are evil ones ; therefore I will 
be with you and will w alk before you." When they came to Tsenastci 
they found a hole in the rocks guarded by two great rattlesnakes, one 
ou each side, and covered by two piiiou trees, for a door. AVhcn the 
travelers drew uear, the serpeuis snowed signs of great anger,and wlien 
the former approached the door the reptiles shook their rattles vio- 
lently, thrust out their tongues, and struck at the intruders as though 
they would bite them ; but they did not bite. ISTiltci thrust aside 
the pinou trees: he and his com2)anions entered, and, when they had 
passed within, the piuou trees, moving of their own accord, closed tlie 
entrance behind them. Within they encountered a bald headed old man 
who had only a little tuft of hair over each ear. This was Klictso, the 
Great Serpent. He asked Kiltci who his human companion was, and 
the wind god answered that he was a Navajo who liad been cajitured 
by the Ute, but had escai)ed from them and had suffered many hard- 
ships. Ou hearing this Klictso showed the Indian how to make tlie 
kethawns, now known to the Navajo shamans as klictso-bike^an, or sac- 
rificial sticks of the Great Serpent, and he told him how to plant these 
sacrifices. 

■43. From the home of Klictso they went to a place called Tse-binayol 
(Wind Circles Around a liock). When they drew near the place they 
heard loud peals of thunder and tlie liglitning struck close to them ia 
four different places. They were now approaching the home of tlie 
lightning gods; this is why destruction by the thunderbolt seemed to 
threaten them. Then the Navajo spoke to the lightning, as he liad for- 
merly sjioken to the whirlwind, saying, "Tis I, Keared Within the, Alount- 
ains. Who art thou!" whereat the thunder and the lightning ceased, 
and the travelers walked on until tliey entered a house of black clouds, 
inside of a mountain, which was the house of I'fni', tlie Lightning. Her 
was bald, like the Great Serpent, having only a little tuft of hair over 
each ear. At each of the four sides of the room where I'fni' sat was a 
lightning bird; that in the east was black, that in the south was blue, 
tliat in the west, yellow, aud that in the north, white. From time to 
time the birds flashed lightning from their claws to the center of the 
room where the god sat, and the lightning was of the same color as the 
bird that emitted it. When the travelers entered I'fni' said to Niltci, 
•• Who is this that you have brought with you V The latter answered, 
••It is a Navajo who has been a captive with the Ute aud has escaped. 
He has suffered much. See how his knees and ankles are swollen." 
Then the Lightning showed him two kethawns, such as the shamans now 
.sacrifice under the name of i'fni'-bike(;an, or sacrificial sticks of the 
lightning, aud, having instructed him how to make and to plant these,. 
he bade his visitors depart. 



406 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

■44. Tbo iie.Kt place tbey readied ou their jouniey vras SaiL.^itsozi 
(Narrow Sand Hills). They entered the liill and came to the bouse of 
Ka^-liifri, the Butterfly, a dwelling filled with butterflies and raiu- 
bows. Tbey found Kai);lugi and his wife sitting there, and also Atsos- 
bebagiini (Ilouse of Feathers), who wore black leggins. Here Niltci 
disappeared and the woman had to put her questions to the ifavajo. 
She inquired, as the others bad done, who he was, and be briefly told 
her bis story. She arose, went out, and presently returned with a large 
l)asin made of a beautiful white shell; this was filled with water and 
soap root. She laid it before the Ifavajo, saying, "You are about to 
visit some fViir and beautiful people, and it is proper that you should 
bathe your body and wash your hair well." When he bad finished his 
bath he of the house of feathers took fine corn meal and applied it to 
the feet, the knees, the abdomen, and the other parts of the body which 
are usually touched in healing ceremonies. Then, under the directions 
of Atsos bebagani, the IS'avajo rubbed his whole body with meal to dry 
himself and painted his face white with glee (white earth). House of 
Feathers next brought in small bundles of the following i)lauts : tcil- 
^•elgisi (Giifierre'ia eiitliami(v), (;oikal {Arteiiicsia trijidii), tseji, and 
tloMiasCj'asi {Boutflowi hirsKfa), hnvned them to charcoal, and directed 
the Indian to bla(;ken his legs and forearms with this substance. When 
this was done he put spots of white on the black, and, in short, painted 
him as the akaninili, or courier (Fig. 52) sent out to summon guests to 
the (lance, is painted to this day in the ceremonies of the dsilyidje 
qa^'al. When the painting was doiu» Kaf.lugi Esgaya (Butterfly Woman) 
took hold of his hair and pulled it downward and stretched it until it 
grew in i)rofusion down to his ankles. Then she pressed and worked 
his body and face all over until she molded him into a youth of the most 
beautiful form and feature. They gave him fine white moccasins and 
a collar cif beaver skin with a whistle attached to it; they put the ka 
basQau, or plumed sticks to represent wings, on his arms, and altogether 
dressed and adorned him as the ak6.ninili is dressed and adorned. The 
woman gave him white corn meal mixed with water to eat, and he slept 
all night in the house of the butterflies. In the morning the woman (or 
goddess, as we might better call her) laid two streaks of white lightning 
ou the ground and bade him stand ou them with one foot ou each 
streak. "Xow," she said, "the white lightning is yours; use it how and 
when you will." Then she told him to go to the top of the hill in which 
tbiir house lay. When he ascended he found another house ou the top, 
and in it he again met Kaflugi and his wife, who awaited him there. 
He observed a streak of white lightning that spanned a broad \ulley, 
stretcliing from the hill ou which he stood to a distant wooded niouut- 
ain. •■ There," said Kafliigi Escaya, pointing to the lightning, '' is the 
trail you must follow. It leads to yonder mountain, which is named 
Bistcagi." 



MATTiiKwsl MVTII ; HIS AMVE.NTrKKS A.Mo.NG THE GODS. 407 

•IJ. lie followed the lijilitniiiii- trail and soon airiveil at the house of 
Estsan fiyuii ( Holy Woman). The liouse was inside of a black mount- 
ain: but the bghtuing ended not until it went (juite into the dwelling; 
so he had only to follow it to find his way in. The door was of trees. 
Within, ou the east wall hung the sun and on the west wall hung the 
moou. Here he was shown the Icethawu which is called Estsan (|igini- 
bike^au. or the sacrificial stick of the holy woman, and was told how to 
make it and bow to bury it. As Le was about to depart from this 
place two of the wiud gods and the buttertly god appeared to him. 
ami the whole party of four set out for Tcuckai (Chusca Knoll of our 
geographers). 

46. At this place they entered a house which was inside of the mount- 
ain. It was two stories high; it had four rooms ou the first story ami 
four v)n the second. It had four doorways, which were covered with 
trees for doors; in the east was a black sjjruce tree, in the south a blue 
spruce tree, in the west a yellow si>ruce tree, and in the north a white 
shining spruce tree. Here dwelt four of the Tcike cac-natlehi (^laideu 
that Becomes a Bear). Their faces were white : their legs and ft^rearms 
were covered with shaggy hair; their hands were like those of human 
beings ; but their teeth were long and pointed. The first Tcike-cac nut- 
lehi, it is said, had twelve brothers. She learned the art of converting 
herself into a bear from the coyote. She was a great warrior and in- 
vulnerable. When she weut to war she took out and hid her vital 
organs, so that no one could kill her ; when the battle was over she put 
them back iu their places again. The maidens showed him how to make 
four kethawns and told him how to bury them in order to jiroiieily 
sacrifice them. 

47. From Tciickai they went to Mina-(io(j-ezgo(; (Valley Surrounded on 
All Sides by Hills), near (|'epeutsa, where they fouud the house of the 
Tsilke-y^igiui (Holy Young Meu), of whom there were four. There were, 
in the dwelling, four I'ooms, which had not smooth walls, but looked like 
rooms iu a cavern ; yet the house was nmde of water. A number of 
plumed arrows (katso-yiscau) were hanging on the walls, and each 
young man (standing one iu the east, one iu the south, oueiu the west, 
and one in the north) held such an arrow in his extended right hand. 
No kethawn was given him; but he was bidden to observe well how 
the holy young warriors stood, that he might in:itate them iu the rites 
he should establish amongst men. 

48. The uext place they visited was Tse'^a-iskagi (Kock that Bends 
Back), where they entered a house, striped within horizontally of many 
colors, and found eight more of the Tsilke (jigiui (Holy Young Meu). 
Two stood at each cardinal point and each one grasped a sapling 
which he held over his upturned mouth, as if about to swallow it. One 
of the young meu addressed him, saying "Do thus. There are eight 
of us here; but when you do this in the dance that you will teach your 
people you need not have eight young men — six will be enough." 



408 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

49. From Lere tliey weut to Tcetcel-bj itso (Big Oaks), to visit the 
iioiiic of (|'igin-yo.siiii (yosiui is a species of squirrel). It was built of 
black water-slime (vragliy) and tbe door was of red sunbeams. Ou the 
east wall buug a big black log; ou the south wall, a blue log; on the 
west wall, a yellow log; and on the north wall, a white log; in which 
logs the squirrels dwelt. Although they were squirrels, they were 
young men and young women, and looked very much like one another. 
All had red and black stripes ou their backs. These taught him how 
to make and bury the kethawns sacred to themselves. 

50. Dsilniuela' (Last Mountain) is a conical, sharp pointed eminence, 
shaped like a Xavajo hogdu or lodge. It is black and has white streaks 
running down its sides. This was the nest place they visited. Within 
the mountain was a house, whose door was of darkness and was guarded 
by Tcapaui (the Bat) and an animal called Qantso (of crepuscular or 
nocturnal habits). Ilere dwelt many young men and young women who 
were skunks (goliji), and they taught the Xavajo wandci-er how to make 
and how to bury the kethawns which are sacied to the skunk. 

51. The next place to which they went was Dsil uiki(|:i agi (Mountain 
Comes Down Steep), and here they found tlie j)lace where Glo'dsilkai 
(Abert's squirrel, Sciurus aberti) and Glo'dsiljini dwelt. When the four 
entered, the squirrels said to them: "What do you want here? You 
are always visiting where you are not welcome." The gods replied: 
"Be not angry with us. This is a Xavajo who was a captive among 
the Ute, but he has escaped and has suffered nuich. I'lJ'm' (the Light- 
ning) has bidden us to take him to the homes of all the (J'igini (holy 
ones, supernatural beings); therefore we have brought him here." "It 
is well," said the squirrels;, "but he is hungry and must have some 
food." They brought him piiion nuts, pine nuts, spruce nuts, and serv- 
ice berries ; but the gods told him not to partake of the nuts or he 
would be changed into a squirrel, to eat only of the service berries. 
When he had fiuished his meal, the squirrels showed him how to make 
two kethawns and how to bury them. 

52. Now Niltci whispered: "Let us go to Usilyai^iu" (Four Door- 
ways Under a Mountain), where dwells (^!asani (the Porcupine). His 
house was in a black mountain. At the eastern doorway there was a 
black spruce tree for a door. On the other sides there were no doors ; 
the entrances were open. They found here- four porcupine gods, two 
male and two female. They were colored according to the four car- 
dinal hues. The black one stood in the east, the blue one iu the south, 
the yellow one in the west, and the white one in the north. They in- 
structed him comierning the kethawns of the porcupines, and thej' 
offered him food, which cousisted of the inner bark of different kinds of 
trees. But again, prompted by Xiltci, he refused the food, saying that 
he was not able to eat food of that kind. " It is well," said tlie porcu- 
pines. " and now yuu tnay lea\ c us." 






>iATT.iEws.] MVTH : THE MYSTERIES THE GODS ■I'EACH HIM. -iOO 

53. "Oil' ill (his direct it>ii," wliisiit'ied Nilfci, pointing to the north- 
east, •' is a iilaue called (ii).|'estso (Where Yellow Streak Rniis Down). Let 
us go thither." Here they entered a house of one room, nu.de ot lilaek 
water. The door was of wind. Jt was the home of Teal-iiiiu'z (Lonj; 
Frog), of (j!oklie (Water Snake), of Klieka (Arrow Snake), and of other 
serpents and animals of the water. It was called Ahyeqo(i'e(^'i' (They 
Came Together), because here the prophet of the dsil^\ idje qacal visited 
the home of the snakes and learned something of their mysteries. The 
ceremonies sacred to these animals belong to another dance, that of 
the qojoniqa^al (chant of terrestrial beauty); but in the mysteries 
learned in Ahyeqo(;'e(j-i- the two ceremonies are one. Dere he was in- 
structed how to make and to sacrific^e four kethawus. To symbolize tliis 
visit of Dsilyi' Neyaiii and this union of the two ceremonies, the first 
sand picture is made. (See I'late XV.) 

54. The next place they visited was Acankike, where there was a liouse 
built of the white rock crystal, with a door made of all sorts of i)lants. 
It was called Tsegaf inieiuibehogan (House of Ivock Crystal) and was 
the homeofTcikfe-(|'igiiii(Sui)ernatural Young Woman, or Young Woman 
Goddess), who was the richest of all I lie figini. In the middle of the 
floor stood a large crystal in the shape of a kethawu. Just as they were 
entering, Qastceelci, who had ilisappeared from the Navajo's sight at 
the house of the bears, here rejoined iiim, and the party now mimbered 
live. The apartment, when they canii^ into it, was very small, but Qns- 
tcei^'lci blew on the walls, which extended thereat until the room was one 
of great size. The goddess showed the Navajo how to make two ke- 
thawns and directed him how to dis])ose of them. 

33. Thence they journeyed to Tsitseintyeli (Broad C'herry Trees), 
where, in a house of cherries with a door of lightning, there lived four 
gods named Dsilyi'Neyani (Keared Within the Mountains). Tlie Navajo 
was surprised to find that not only had they the same name as he had, but 
that they looked just like him and had clothes exactly the same as his. 
His companions said to him : "These are the gods iu whose beautiful 
form the Butterfly goddess has molded yon. These are the gods wiiose 
name you bear." The hosts bade their visitors be seated, and they 
ranged themselves around the fire, (Uie at each of the cardinal points. 
Each held an arrow made of the cliff rose (Co (<■««/« ine.ricitna) in his 
extended right hand. The head of the arrow was of stone, the lletcliing 
of eagle feathers, and the '■ breath feather" of the downy plume of the 
Tsenahale (the Harpy of Navajo mythology). As they held the arrows 
they ejaculated, " ai', at', ai', ai'," as they who dauce the katsoyisyan 
do iu the ceremonies to this day, and after the fourth ai' each oue sw al- 
lowed his arrow, head foremost, until the tletching touched his lips. 
Then he withdrew the arrow and they said: "Thus do we wish the 
Navajo to do iu the dance which you will teach them; but they must 
take good care not to break off the arrowheads when they swallow and 
withdraw them." Such is the<irigiii of the dauce of the katso-yisean. or 



410 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

sreat i)lamed arrow. As they bade him good bye, oue of tliem said to 
the Navajo : " We look for you," i. e., "We expect you to return to us," 
an iiitiuiation to him that when he left the earth he should return to 
the gods, to dwell among them forever. 

iJG. From this place they journeyed on until they reached Acadsil 
(I^eaf Mountain), and found the house that was made of dew-drops 
(^'a(;obehogan) and that had a door made of plants of many different 
kinds. This was the home of the Bitses-ninez (Long Bodies), who 
were goddesses. When they rose, as the strangers entered, the plumes 
on their heads seemed to touch the heavens, they were so very tall. 
The goddesses said to Dsilyi' Neyani, " We give you no ketha wn,but look 
at us well and remember how we appear, for in your ceremonies you 
must diaw our picture; yet draw us not, as we now stand, in the east, 
the south, the west, aud the north ; but draw us as if we all stood in the 
east." This is the origin of the second picture that is painted on thesaud. 
(Plate XVI.) 

57. Leaving the Ilouse of Dew they proceeded to Qonakai (White 
Water Running Across). This was a stream which ran down the side 
of a hill and had its source in a great spring. Immediately above this 
spring was the home of Qastcei^lfi. The latter, as tliey approached his 
home, stopped at the fool of the hill aud four times ordered his com- 
])anions to go in advance; but four times they refused. After the last 
refusal Qastceel(j'i clajiijed his hands, uttered his cry of" hu' hu'hu' hu'!" 
and led the way. The bouse was of corn pollen; the door was of day- 
light; the ceiling was supported by four white spruce trees ; rainbows ran 
in every direction and made the house shine withiu with their bright 
and beautiful colors. Neither kethawn nor ceremony was shown the 
Navajo here; but he was allowed to tarry four nights and was fed with 
an abundance of white corn meal and corn pollen. 

58. Now QastceiJlc^'i took him to a place called Lejpahieo (Brown Earth 
Water) and led him to the top of a higii hill, from which they could see 
in the tiir distance Gilngigo, where the prophet's family dwelt ; for they 
had moved away from the valley in ^^epentsa, where he left them. Then 
the yay showed him the shortest road to take and bade him return 
to his people. 

50. Wlien he got within sight of his house his peojile made him stop 
and told him not to apprqach nearer until they had summoned aNavajf^ 
shaman. When the latter, whose name was Red Queue, came, cere- 
monies were performed over the returned wanderer, and he was washed 
from head to foot and dried with corn meal ; for thus do the Xavajo 
treat all who return to their homes from captivity with another tribe, 
in order that all alien substances and influences may be removed from 
them. When he had been thus purified he entered the house and his 
people embraced him aud wept over him. But to him the odors of the 
lodge were now intolerable aud he soon left the house and sat outside. 
Seeing thifi, the shaman gave it as bis opinion that the purification al- 



i 



MATTHEWS.) MVTH: HIS EKTUKX TO HIS PEOPLE. 411 

ready iradi' was not siifiiL'iiMit, aud that it would hv well to have a .uroat 
(lauce over liiin. In those days the Xavajo bad a healing dance in 
the dark corral ; but it was imjierfect, with few songs and no kethawns 
or sacriticial sticks. It was not until Dsilyi' K^eyani recounted his reve- 
lations that it iiecanie the great dance it now is among the Navajo. 

GO. It was agreed that before the dance began Dsilyi' Xeyaui should 
be allowed four days and four nights in which to tell his story and 
that the uiedicine man should send out a number of young men to col- 
lect the plants that were necessary for the coming ceremony. For 
four nights and for four days he was busy in relating his adventures 
and instructing his hearers in all the mysteries he had learned in the 
homes of the (J'igini. Then they built the medicine lodge and got all 
things ready for the new rites and for the purification of the one who had 
returned. The shaman selected from among the plants brought him by 
the young men such as lie thought would best cleanse his patient of 
all the strange food he had taken among the alien Indians and in the 
houses of the supernatural ones whom lie had visited. On the fiistday 
he gave him pine and s]iruce; ou the second day, big and little willows: 
on the third day, a plant called litci and the aromatic sumac; on the 
fourth day, cellar and i)irion. Of these the itrophet drank cold and hot 
infusions in the morning by the tire. 

Gl. During these four days the cereuionies which Dsilyi' Neyani had 
introduced were iu progress. Ou the tiftb day it was proposed they 
should send out the akaninili (meal sprinkler) or courier to invite their 
neighbors to the great dance. There were two couriers to be sent: one 
was to go to the north, to a place called (y6gojila'(Much Grease ^^'ood), 
to invite some friendly bauds of Ute, some distant bands of Xavajo, and 
some Jicarilla who dwelt there; tbe other was to go to the south, to 
Tse'lakai-sila (Where Two WhiteEocks Lie), to ask the Southern Apache, 
the White Mountain Apache, the Cohouino, and a tribe called (|'ildjehe, 
to attend. To the camp iu the north it was a journey of two days and 
two nights, and it would take the fleetest runner the same time to return. 
To the home of their neighbors in the south it was as far. As these long 
journeys must be made on foot and running, they could not find a 
single young man iu the camp who would volunteer for the task. The 
men counseled about the difficulty all day and tried much persuasion 
ou the youths, but none were found willing to make either journey. 

62. As night approached an old woman entered the medicine lodge 
and said : '• I will send my grandson as an akaninili." This old woman's 
lodge was not far from where the medicine lodge was built and all 
present knew her grandson well. Whenever they visited her lodge he 
was always lying ou the ground asleej); they never saw him go abroad 
to hunt, and they all supposed him to be lazy and worthless; so when 
she made her oti'er they only looked at one another and laughed. She 
waited awhile, and getting no res[)oiise she again oHered the services 
of her grandson, only to provoke agaiu laughter and significaut looks. 



412 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

A thiiil and a i'oiiitli time she made her proposal, and theu she said: 
■' Why do you not at least answer me ? I have said that I will let my' 
j;randson take your messages to one of these camps and yon langh at 
me and tiiank me not. Why is this?" Hearing Iier words, the cliief 
medicine man, who eanie from a distant camp and did not know her, 
asked the men who were present who the woman was and what sort of 
a young- man her grandson was ; but again the men laughed and did 
not answer him eitlier. He turned to the old woman and said : " Bring 
hither your grandson, that I nniy see him." The woman answered: " It 
is already late; the night is falling and the way is long. It is of no use 
for yon to see him to-night ; let us wait until the morning." " Very well," 
said the shaman; '-bring liim at dawn to-morrow." She left the lodge • 
])romising to do as she was bidden ; and the moment she was gone the 
long sujjprcssed merriment of the men broke ibrth. They all laughed 
inordinately, made many jokes about the lazy grandson, and told the 
medicine man that there was no use in sending such a person with the 
message wlien the best runners among them did not dare to undertake 
the journey. " He is too weak and lazy to hunt," said they; '• he lives 
on seeds and never tastes Hesh." 

03. As soon as there was light enough in the morning to discern ob- 
jects, a man who was looking out of tlie door of the medicine lodge (tried 
out, "He comes," and those inside laughed and waited. Presently Tla- 
fescini (such was the name of the old woman's grandson) entered and 
sat down near the tire. All looked at him in astonishment. W'ben last 
they saw him his hair was short and matted, as if it had not been 
combed or washed for three years, and his form was lean and bent. Xow 
he appeared with thick glossj' locks that fell below his knee; his limbs .* 

were hirge and firm looking; he held his head erect and walked like a 
youth of courage; and many said to one another, "This cannot be the 
same man." In a little while another young man named ludsiskai 
( Radiating White Streaks), as fair and robust as the first, entered and sat 
down by the fire on the side opposite to whei'e Tla(J'esf;ini sat. The wliite 
eartli and the charcoal for painting the akaninili were already pre- ■. 

pared ; so some of the young meu in the lodge, when they beheld this 
pair of fine couriers, arose without a word of debate and began to paint 
the latter and to adorn their persons for the journey. When the toilet 
was done, the medicine man sent the couriers forth with many messages 
aiul injunctions and told tliem to blow on their whistles four times be- 
fore they got out of hearing of the lodge. Tla(|'es5ini went to the north 
and Indsiskai to the south, and they walked so slowly that all the spec- 
tators again laughed and made merry, and many said: "They will 
never reach tlie camps wiiither we have sent them." They passed out 
of sight just before the sun rose. Those whoremained in camp prepared 
to amuse tliemselves. They cleared the ground for the game of na'joj, 
and brought out their sticks and hoops. Some said: "We will have 
l)lenty of time for i)lay before the couriers return." Others said: "At 



> 

I 



MATTHEWS) MYTH: THE WONDERFUL COURIERS. 413 

yonder tree we saw Tla^esriiii last. I .suppose if we went there now 
we would tind biui asleep under it." 

Oi. About the middle of the afternoon, while they were playing their 
games, one looked to the north, and, at a distance, he saw one of the 
messengers approaching them, and he cried out, "Here comes Tla(j'esf mi ; 
be has wakened from his sleep and is coming back for sometliing to 
eat." A moment later ludsiskaY was announced as ai)proaching fr(un 
the south. They both reached the door of tlie medicine lodge at the 
same time; but Tla('es^'ini entered tirst, handed his bag to the medicine 
man, and sat down iu the same place where he sat when he entered 
in the morning. ludsiskai followed and, handing his bag to the sha- 
man, sat down opposite his companion. Now, many who were without 
thronged into the lodge to enjoy the sport, and they laughed and whis- 
pered among themselves; but the couriers were grave and silent, and, 
while the medicine man opened the bags, they took off their ornaments 
and washed the paint fix)m their bodies. In the bagof Tlafest^'ini were 
found four ears of lejyipej (corn baked in the husk underground). They 
were still hot from the hre, and the shaman broke them into fragments 
and passed the pieces around. From the. bag of Indsiskai two pieces of 
noya' (the haid sugar of the maguey), sucJi as the Apache make, were 
taken. When the young men had tinished cleaning themselves, they 
passed out iu silence, without a glance for any one. 

6'>. At nightfall they retui'iied to the lodge, and entering, sat down 
in the west, one on each side of the medicine man, and Tlafes(;'ini ad 
dressed him, saying: "When we came to the lodge this afternoon, we 
did not give you an account of our journeys because the people who are 
with you are fools, who laughed when we came houie t^rom the long 
journey which they feared to undertake; but now we have come to tell 
you our adventures. I," continued Th^'-es^ini, '• went to the north. On 
u).\ way I met another messenger who was traveling from a distant 
camp to this one to call you all to a dance in a circle of branches of a 
different kind from ours. When he learned my errand he tried to prevail 
ou me to return hither and put off our dance till another day, so that we 
might attend their ceremony and that they in turn might attend ours; 
but I refused, saying our people were in haste to complete their dance. 
Then we exchanged bows and quivers as a sign to our people that we 
had met and that what we would tell on our return was the truth. 
You observe that the bow and quiver I have now are not those with 
which I left this morning. We parted, and I ke|)t on my way towards 
tlie north. It was yet early in the day when I reached (^'ogojila', where 
the Jicarilla and friendly Ute were encamped. There I sprinkled 
meal on the medicine man and gave him my mes.sage. When I arrived 
they were just opening a pit in which they had roasted corn, and they 
gave me the ears which I have brought home. They promised to be 
here iu our camp at the end of the third day, which will be the night 
of our dance." 



414 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

0(1. Wlieu Tlafesriiii liiul done .si)eaking, ludsiskai gave the following 
account of liinisclf: "It was but a little while after snniise when I 
jeaclied T.se'iakai'sila and entered tlie camps of the four tribes. In one 
they were just takini;- some noea' out of a pit, and they gave me those 
pieces which J brought home. I entered the lodge of a medicine man in 
each tribe, scattered on him the sacred ujeal, and announced to him 
when our dance would take place. They all promised to be here with 
tiieir people on the end of the third day, which will be on the night we 
hold our ceremony." 

07. When the akiininilis came to tell their adventures to the medi- 
cine man, they were beautifully attired. They wore earrings and neck- 
laces of tunjuoise, coral, and rare shells. They had on embroidered 
blankets of a kind we see no longer, but the gods wore them in the an- 
cient days. They rustled like dry leaves. The blanket of one was 
black and that of the other was white. When they came out of the 
medicine lodge they went around among the huts and inclosures of those 
w4io were assembled, visiting the wives and the sweethearts of the silly 
men who had laughed at them in the morning; and everywhere the 
women smiled on the beautiful and well dressed youths. The next 
morning the men laughed and sneered at them no more, nor whispered 
in their presence, but glanced at them with sulky or shamefaced looks. 
During the day the akiininilis took part in the game of nd"joj with 
those who once jeered. at them, and won many articles of great value. 

68. On the afternoon of the third day following the one on which the 
akauinilis made their journeys, a great cloud of dust was observed on 
the northern horizon and a similar cloud was seen in the south. They 
grew greater and came nearer, and then the invited Indians began to 
arrive from both directions. They continued to come in groups until 
nightfall, when a great multitude had assembled to witness the dance. 
After the guests began to ariive the young men set to work to cut trees 
for the corral, and when the sun had set the building ot the dark circle 
of branches began. While the young men were making the circle the 
old men were making speeches to the multitude, for the old men always 
love to talk when the young men are hard at work. It was the greatest 
corral that has ever been built in the Navajo country. It was as broad 
as from Caiion Bonito to "the Ilaystae'ks" (a distance of about six 
miles), yet the visiting tribes were so numerous that they tilled the circle 
full. In the mean time the sounds of singing and of the drum were 
heard all around, for many different parties of dancers, who were to take 
l)art in the night's entertainment, were rehearsing. 

Ct>. There was some delay after the inclosure was finished before the 
first dancers made their appearance. A man entered the corral and 
made a speech begging the atsalei, or first dancers, to hasten, as there 
were so many parties from a distance who wished to perform during the 
night. Soon after he had spoken, the two atsalei who led in the dance 
of the great plumed arrow entered, and after them came six more, and 



MAmiEWfe.J MYTH : THE FIKST MOUNTAIN CHANT. 415 

performed this bealiiig dauce over D^siIyi' ^S'ejaui as it is i)eifoniic'(l to 
this (hiy. (See paragrai)h 131.) When this was coucliided various groups 
from among tlie strangers entered, one after another, and eondneted their 
different alilis, or sliows. which the Navajo tlien h'arned and have since 
practiced when they sing their songs iu the dark circle of branches. 

70. When the dauce began iu the evening there was one of the invited 
tribes which, it was noticed, had not arrived. This was the Becjai, or 
Jiearilla. The ]S^avajo asked the Ute wliere the missing ones were, and 
the Ute answered that they had passed the Jiearilla on the way; that 
the latter were coming, but had stopped to play a game of roulette, or 
ua"Joj, and were thus delayed. Shortly before dawn llie Jiearilla came 
and entered the corral to exhiltit their alili or show. It was a dance of 
the na"ioj, for the wands and implements of the dance were the sticks 
and wheels used in playing that game. 

71. During the night a chief of the Xav'ajo, while walking through 
the crowd, observed the grandmother of ThKJeseini sitting on the ground. 
He approached her and said : " Yonr grandson and his friend have done 
a great deed for us ; they have made a long journey. 3Iany doubted 
whether they had really made it until we saw the multitude gathering 
ju our camp from the north and from the south iu obedience to their 
summons. Now we know that they have spoken the truth. Tell me, I 
beg you, how they did this wonderful thing." She answered: "They 
are figini. ]\Iy grandson for many years lias risen early every morn- 
ing and run all around Tsotsil (Mount Taylor, or San Mateo) over and 
over again before sunrise. This is why the people have never seen him 
abroad during the day, but have seeu him asleep in his hogan. Around 
the base of Tsotsil are nuiuy tse'na'djihi (heaps of sacriticial stones). 
These were all nuule by my grandson ; he drops a stone on one of these 
piles every time he goes round the mcuntain.'' 

72. When day began to dawn there were yet several parties who 
came prei)ared to gi\'e exhibitions, but had not had a chance; still, at the 
ajiproacli of day the ceremonies had to cease. xVt this time, before the 
visitors began to leave the corral, the Xavajo chief who had siiokcn 
with the grandmother arose and addressed the assembly. He told 
them all he knew about the switt couriers and all the grandmother had 
told him. He remarked that there were yet many who could not be- 
lieve that the young men had made the journey ; so, to satisfy all, he 
proposed that within twelve days they should have a race between the 
two fleet akaniuili around the base of Tsotsil, if all would agree to re- 
assemble to witness it, and he begged them to invite their neighbors of 
the Pueblo and other tribes to come with them. Then other chiefs 
aro.fe to speak. Iu the end the proposition of the Navajo ('hief was 
agreed to. All promised to return within eleven days ;iud decided that 
the race should take place on the morning following. Then they dis- 
persed to their homes. 



416 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT 



— o 
iO. 



On the afternoou of the eleveuth day, when tbey had reassembled 
ac'CDidiiis' to their iiroiuises, the Navajo diiefaro.se and addressed them, 
rie invited the chiefs of the other tribes to come forward and complete 
the arrangements for the race. So the headmen all came together at 
the place where the Navajo was speaking, and, alter some consultation, 
they agreed that the race should be around the peak of Tsotsil, but not 
around the entire range of mountains. The Navajo separated them- 
selves iuto oue party and the alien tribes into another, the two parties 
.standing at a little distance from one another. The aliens were given 
the first choice, and they chose Indsiskai; therefore TIa^-es(,'ini fell to the 
Navajo. Then the betting began. The stakes consisted of strings of 
coral, tuniuoise, and shell beads, of vessels of shells as large as the 
earthen basins of tiie Zuni, of beautifully tanned buckskins, of dresses 
embroidered with colored porcupine (piills, ami of suits of armor made 
of several layers of buckskin. Tlie warriors in those days wore such 
armor, but they wear it no longer. The beads and shells weie laid in 
one pile; the bucliskius, the embroidered dresses, and the armor in 
another ; and the piles were of vast size. 

74. The homes of these young men were at Ka^-saka^ ts^^-'^qa (Lone 
Juniper Standing Between Clifls), now Cobero Canon. There is seen 
to day a rock shaped like a Navajo hogan. It stands near the wagon 
road and not far from the town of the Mexicans (Cobero). This rock 
was once the hut where Tla^esyini dwelt. Not far from it is another 
rock of similar appearance, which once was the home of Indsiskai. For 
this reason the runners were started at the Lone Juniper. They ran 
towards the west and five of the fleetest runners among the assembled 
Indians set out at the same time to see how long they could keep uj) 
with them. By the time these five men had reached the spur of the 
mountain opposite (yosago (Hot Spring, Ojo de los Gallinos, San Ra- 
fael), the two chamiiions were out of sight. Then the five turned back; 
but before they could return to the Lone Juniper the runners had got 
in and the race was decided. Tla^esyiui had won by about twice the 
length of his own body, and all the wagered wealth of the other nations 
passed into the hands of the Navajo. 

7.">. When all was done the strangers were dissatisfied ; they UKUirned 
overtlii'ir losses and talked about the whole affair among themsehes 
for a long time. Finally they decided to give the Navajo another 
challenge if the latter would agree to a longer racecourse, which should 
MU'lude all the foothills of the San Mateo range. The Navajo accepted 
the challenge and agreed to have the race at the end of another twelve 
days. Early on the eleventh day the strangers began to assemble 
from all quarters; they continued to arrive all day, and when night 
fell they were all in. Then the headmen addressed them, explaining 
all the conditions of the challenge and describing carefully the race- 
course decided on. The betting did not run as high this time as before, 



WArnitw- MVTII: THE TKANSLATIOX OF THK PKOPHKT. 417 

The Xaviijo bet ouly about oue lialf of what they woii on the liPinier 
raee. Again they started the two riuiuers, and in sucli time as you 
coiihl Just niaik tliat the sun liad moved, tiiey were back at the goal; 
but this time lud.siskai, the ehampion of the alien races, won by about 
the same distauce as lie bad lost on the previous occasion. 

76. Then the strangers were satisfied and said, ''We will try no more. 
]\Iany of our goods are still with the Navajo; but we have done well 
to rescue what we bave." One of the wise men amongthem said, "Yes, 
you have done well, for had you lost tlic second race you would have lost 
with it the rain and the sunshine and ail that makes life glad." It is 
l)ecause the Navajo won so much wealth on this occasion that they 
have beeu richer than the neighboring races ever since. 

77. The ceremony cured Dsilyi' Neyani of all his strange feelings 
and notions. Tiie lodge of his peo|)le no longer smelled unpleasant to 
him. But often he would say, " I kiiow 1 cannot be with you always, 
for the yays visit me nightly in my sleep. In my dreamsl am oncemore 
among tbem, and they beg me to return to them." 

7S. Fi'oui Lejpahico the family moved to ])sildjoltciii(J-i (Mountain of 
Hatred). Thence they went to Tsinbilahi (Woodson Oue Side), and from 
there to Tse'yueahia' (Standing Rock Above). In this place they en- 
camped but one night, and next day they nio\'ed to (J'epe-afaif' (Sheej) 
Promontory), and went on to (^'epe f asi(|'i (One Slieep LyingDown). Here 
again they camped for the night. Next day they traveled by Tse'ateal- 
cali (Hock Cracked in Two) to Tcoyajnaskie (Hill Surrounded With 
Young Spruce Trees), to Nigiicjokai (White Ground), and to Tse'yistci^- 
(Dipping Eocks, i. e., dipi>ing strata), where they stojiped to rest for the 
night. On the following day they journeyed to (^'osakazi (Cold Water), 
in which place thei" encamped again. 

79. When the morning came, Dsilyi' Neyani said to his younger 
brother, " Let us go out and try to .shoot some deer, so that we may 
make be(;a' (deer m:isks),such as we wore in (/^epentsa, where we killed 
so many deer." The brothers departed on the hunt and came to a place 
called Dsil-lijiu (Black JMouutains), and they sat down on the side of 
the mountains looking towards Tsotsil. As they sat there Dsilyi' Ne- 
yani said, " Younger brother, behold the ^-igmi!" (holy ones); but the 
younger brother could see no one. Then he spoke again, " Farewell, 
younger brother! From the holy i)laces the gods come for me. You 
will riever see me again ; but when the showers pass and the thunder 
peals, 'There,' you will say, 'is the voice of my elder brother,' and 
when the harvest comes, of the beautiful birds and grasshoppers you 
will say 'There is the ordering of my elder Inother.'" 

80. As he said these words he vanished. The younger brother looked 
all around, and seeing no one he started for his home. When he re- 
turned to his people he told them of the departure of Dsilyi' Xeyani, 
and they mourned as for oue dead. 

5 ETH 27 



418 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

THE CEREMONIES OF DSILYI'DJE QACAL, 

SI. It bas been my lot to see portiou.s of these ceremonies at various 
times. The most complete view I had of them was ditiiiig a visit made 
to a iiiace called Niqotlizi (Hard Earth), some twenty miles northwest 
from Tort Wiiigate, New Mexico, and just within the southern bound- 
ary of the Navajo Reservation. This was the only occasion when I 
obtained full access to the medicine lodge on the later days of the cer- 
emonies and had an opportunity of observing the wonderful pictures 
on sand which are illustrated in color in the accompanying plates. 

82. On October 21, 1884, when I arrived at this place, the patient, 
for whose benefit the rites were celebrated and a few of her immediate 
relations were the only people encamped here. They occupied a single 
temporary shelter of brushwood, within a few paces of wliich I had a 
rude shelter erected for my own accommodatiou. The patient was a 
middleaged woman, who aiipaiently suffered from no ailment whatever; 
she was stout, ruddy, cheerful, and did her full share of the household 
work every day; yet she was about to give away for these ceremonies 
eheep, horses, and other goods to the value of perhaps two hundred 
dollars. No ceremonies whatever were in progress when I came. Ev- 
erything, so the Indians said, was waiting for the qa^ali. (Paragraph 2.) 
Some men were engaged iu building a corral for the sheep that were 
to be slaughtered for the guests, and some old wonien were grinding 
corn to feast the men who were to work in the medicine lodge, which 
had been completed sis days before. 

8.'5. This lodge was a simple conical structure of large, partly hewed 
pinon logs, set on end and inclined at an angle of about forty-live de- 
grees, so as to join one another on top, where they formed the apex of 
the lodge. The circle of logs was incomplete in the east, where the 
openings for the door and the smoke hole were. A passage, or entry, 
about hve feet high and three feet wide, led from the body of the lodge 
to the outer doorway, where some blankets hung as portifercs. The 
frame of logs was covered with sods and loose earth to keep out wind 
and rain. Internally, the lodge was eight feet iu height under the apex 
of the cone and on an average twenty-five feet iu diameter at the base. 
The diameter was increased at the east (to allow for the entry) and at 
the north. The irregularity in the circumference in the north was at 
Irst conjectured to be a mere accident ; but iu the ceremonies of the 
first night its use became apparent as affording a hiding place for the 
man dressed in evergreens. (Paragraph OU.) 

84. The first four days' ceremonies in this case had been per- 
formed during the previous year. Such a division of the work is some- 
times made, if more convenient for the patient and his friends, but usu- 
ally all is done iu nine consecutive days. These first days have less of 
interest than the others. Early each morning, before eating, all who 
desire, men and women, enter the me*licine lodge, where, in a stifling- 



a 
c 



o 
n 



WiiNA ^T^mp ,.\*1 t J- *"^-" 









If 




^ .'?-*■ 



>^% 



■ -^^V^-^i 



',111 liV ^"i t ^ , » 














T ^ir* ^'^ 



m ■ 




'i 



MATTHEWS.! CEREMONIES OF DSILTIIUE QACAL. 419 

atmos[>lieie, soated aiouud a lire of dry wood of four difleri^'iit kinds — 
cedar, biy willow, little willow, and spruce — they take the Lot emetic 
iufusiou of fifteen different kinds of plants mixed togetlier. A little 
saud is placed in front of each to receive the ejected materiaL After 
the emetic has acted the lire is removed, deposited some paces to the 
north of the lodge, and allowed to die out. Each devotee's pile of sand 
is then removed (beginning with that of the man who sat in the east 
and going round the circle) and deposited, one after another, in a line 
north of the sacred fire. Each succeeding day's deposits are placed 
farther and farther north in a continuous line. Next all return to the 
lodge, which has been allowed to cool ; the shaman spits on each some 
medicine which has been mixed with hoarfrost and is sui)posed to cool. 
When all have left the lodge, a new tire of ordinary wood is kindled, and 
the kethawns, or sacrificial sticks, appropriate to the day are made. 

8.5. Fifth day. The chanter did not arrive until the afternoon of 
October '23. His ceremonies in the medicine lodge began on the morn- 
ing of the 2J:th. The forenoon was devoted to the preparation and sac- 
rifice of certain kethawns (kecan) — the sacrificial sticks, to the origin of 
which so much of tbe foregoing myth is devoteil — and of sacrificial ciga- 
rettes. About eight o'clock the sick woman entered the medicine lodge, 
followed by the chanter. While she sat on the ground, with her limbs 
extended, he applied some i)OW(lered substance from his medicine bag to 
the soles of her feet, to her knees, breasts, shoulders, cheeks, and head, 
in the order named, and then threw some of it towards the heavens 
through the smoke hole. Before apidying it to the head he i)laced some 
of it in her mouth to l)e swallowed. Then, kueeling on a sheepskin, 
with her face to the east, and holding the bag of medicine in her hand, 
she recited a prayer, bit by bit, after the chanter. The prayer being 
finished, she arose, put some of the medicine into her mouth, some on 
her head, and took her seat in the south, while the shaman went on 
with the preparation of the sacrifices. 

8G. An assistant daubed a nice straight branch of cherry with some 
moistened herbaceous jiowder, after which he divided the branch into 
four pieces with a flint knife. Two of the pieces were each about two 
inches long and two each about four inches long. In each of the shorter 
ones he made one slight gash and in each of the longer ones two gashes. 
The sticks were then naiuted, a shred of yucca leaf being used for the 
brush, with rings of black, red, and white, disposed in a different order 
on each stick. The two cigarettes were made by filling sections of some 
hollow stem with a mixture of some pulverized i)lants. Such cigarettes 
are intended, as the prayers indicate, to be smoked by the gods. ( Para- 
graph 88.) 

87. ^Vhile the assistants were painting the sticks and making the 
cigarettes the old chanter placed on a sheei) skin, spread on the floor 
woolly side down, other things pertaining to the sacrifice: five bundles 
of assorteil feathers, five small [lieces of cotton sheeting to wrap the sacri- 



420 THE MOUNTAIN" CHANT. 

ficos ill, and two round tlut stones, eiicli about four iuclics in diameter. 
The upper surfaces of these he painted, one blue and one black, and he 
bordered each with a stripe of red. When the kethawns and cigarettes 
were ready, the (piyali distributed them along with the bunches of 
plumes, on the five pieces of cotton cloth, which were tlieu rolled nj) 
around their contents, making tive bundles of sacrifices. On the com- 
pletion of this work there was prayer, song, and rattling; the medicinal 
powder was applied to the body of the patient as before ([laragraph 
So); two of the little sacrificial bundles were placed in her right hand, 
and while she held them she again rei)eated a prayer, following again 
phrase by phrase, or sentence by sentence, the words of the priest. 
The latter, when the prayer was ended, took the sacrifices from her 
hand and pressed them to different parts of her body in the order pre- 
viously observed, beginning with the soles of the feet and going u])- 
wards to the head, but on this occasion touching also the back, and 
touching it last. Each time after pressing the sacrifices to her body he 
held them up to the smoke hole and blew on them in that direction a 
(]uick pnfl', as if blowing away some evil intluence which the sacrifices 
were supposed to draw from her body. Then the three remaining bun- 
<lles were put in her hands and the rites observed with the former bun- 
<lles were repeated in every respect, including the prayer, which was 
followed by singing and rattling. When the song had ceased some of 
the assistants took the bundles of sacrifices out of the lodge, no doubt 
to bury I hem according to the method inoper for those particular 
kethawns. The round painted stones were also carried out. 

88. The prayers which the woman repeated varied but little. They 
all sounded nearly alike. The night the shaman arrived he rehearsed 
some of these prayers with the woman, at her own hogan, to make her 
familiar with them before she repeated them in the medicine lodge. The 
prayer addressed to Dsilyi' Neyani, when she held in her baud the 
oti'ering sacred to him, was as follows: 

KeaiTi! Witliiu the Mountaius! 

Lord of the Jlonntains! 

Voiuig Mau ! 

Cbifftain: 

I have luaile your sacrifice. 

I have prepared a smoke for you. 

My feet restore thou for me. 

My k'gs restore thou for me. 

My body restoi-e thou for me. 

My miud restore thou for me. 

My voice restore thou for me. 

Restore all for me iu heaut.v. _ 

Make beautiful all that is before me. 

Make beautiful all that is behind me. 

Make beautiful my words. 

It is done iu beauty. 

It is done iu beauty. 

It is doue iu beauty. 

It is done iu beauty. (Taragraphs •201— 1.) 



o 
o 
o 



J- ■ J 



rf'"'',=ffj. 



lift 1 » in fe ,) 
' I I 1 111 r> u \' ' ^ -» j'">- 




i" ^\'^ --^V 



K 







&'^ 






d - 



V ^ 



Hi 



-r<r ^ > 



•*>>■ 



* 5lA ^^ 



■^# 



'' ^ k 



^:'^'^ii 



s$- 






i!ATTHF.vvs.l CEREMONIES: PRAYER AND SACRIFICE. 421 

S9. The nest part of the cereinoiiie.s (or, sball I >iay, tbe treatment?) 
was a fuuiigatiou. TLc niediciue man took from the fire a large glow- 
ing coal, placed it beside tbe woman, and scattered on it some powdered 
snbstaiiee wLieb instantly gave forth a dense smoke and a strong fra- 
grance that tilled the lodge. The woman held her face over the coal 
and inhaled the fumes with deep inspirations. When the smoke no 
longer rose the coal was (ptenched with water and carried out of the 
lodge by the chief, Manuelito, probably to be disposed of in some estab- 
lished manner. Then the woman left the lodge and singing and lattling 
were resumed. 

iM). While tbe rites just described were in progress some assistants 
were busy with other matters. One made, from the spotted skin of a 
fawn, two bags in which the akaninilis or couriers were to carry their 
meal on tbe morrow's journey. Another brought in and hung over 
tbe doorway a bundle of dry, withered ])lants whic^h be had just gath- 
ered. Glancing uj) at theui I recognized the diiticrrezia and tin; Bou- 
telona. The bundle may have contained tbe other jilants mentioned in 
the myth (paragraph 44). They were bung uj) there till the next day, 
to be then used in a manner which will be described (paragraph 101). 

itl. Tbe sheepskin on which the sacrifices bad been placed was taken 
away and a blanket was sjiread on the ground to receive some more 
sacred articles from the bag of the chanter. These were five long 
notched wands, some tail feathers of the wild turkey, some small downy 
feathers of the eagle, and some native mineral pigments — yellow ocber, 
a ferruginous black, and a native blue. With tbe pigments the assist- 
ants painted the notched wands; with tbe i)Uimes the chanter trimmed 
them. (See Fig. 51 and Plate XI.) Then they were called cobolca, a 
word of obscure etymology, or imj'ia-, which signifies sticking up or 
standing erect. They are called in this [taper "plumed wands." 

02. While some were mttking tlic rol)olca others busied themselves 
grinding, between stones, large quantities of i)igmeiits, coarser than 
those referred to above, to be used in making the sand j)ictures or dry 
paintings of the ceremony. They made five colors: black, of charcoal; 
white, of white sandstone; red, of red sandstone; yellow, of jellow 
sandstone; and " blue," of the black and white, mixed in proper jjropor- 
tions; of course this was a gray, but it was their oidy cheaii substitute 
for the cerulean tint, and, condmied with the other colois on tlie sanded 
tloor, in the dim light of the lodge, it could not easily be distinguished 
frou; a true blue. It may be remarked in passing that the Xavajo 
apply to many things which are gray the term they use for blue ((^'olij); 
thus the gray fox is called mai-colij (blue coyote) and a gray sheep is 
called a blue sheep. Yet that they make a distinction between these 
colors is. I think, fairly evident from the fact that in painting small 
articles, such as kethawus and masks, tiny use tbe more costly articles of 
tunjuoise, malachite, and indigo. These coarse pigments for the dry 
paintings were put for convenience on curved pieces of piiion bark. 



422 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 




From time to time, during this aud the followiug days, as the heaps of 
colored powder diminished under the hands of the artists, more stones 
aud charcoal were pulverized to replenish them. 

93. About noon they cleared off that portion of the floor of the lodge 
which lay west of the fire, and brought, in blankets, a quantity of dry 
sand, which they spread out over the cleared portion of the floor in a 

layer of the nearly constant dei>th of 
three inches. They smoothed the sur- 
face with the broad oaken battens used 
in weaving. Now for a time all opera- 
tions were suspended in the lodge while 
the chanter went out to plant the 50- 
bolfa, or plumed wands, in front of the 
medicine lodge, and to lay beside them 
tiie collars of beaver skins and the sym- 
bols for wings which the couriers were 
to wear uext day. (Fig. 51.) These ar- 
ticles, it was said, were placed outside 
as a sign to the gods that the holy pict- 
ures were being drawn; but it is not im- 
probable that they were intended also as 
a sign to uninitiatrd mortals. However 
that may be, they were taken in as soon 
as the picture was finished. The great 
painting was begun about 1 o'clock ]>. m., 
was finished about 3, and was allowed to remain until the ceremo- 
nies at night were concluded. It will be described latei'. (Paragraphs 
100 et seq.) 

94. When the picture was com[)leted food was brought iu, and there 
was a good deal of eating and sleei)ing and smoking done. Being in- 
formed that nothing more would be done until after nightfall, I went 
to my own shelter, to elaborate some of my more hasty sketches while 
matters were still fresh in my mind. At 7 o'clock a messenger came to 
rcli me that cei'emonies were about to be resumed. During my absence 
the i)riucipal character in the night's performance — a man arrayed iu 
evergreens — had been dressed. 

95. I found, on returning to the lodge, a number of spectators seated 
around close to the edge of the apartment. The fire burned in the 
center. The sick woman, with some companions, sat in the south. 
Tlie (]a(j'ali, with a few assistants who joined him in singing and shaking- 
rattles, was seated at the north, at the place where the circumference 
of the lodge was enlarged. (Paragraph S3.) There was a space about 
two feet wide and sis feet long between thein and the wall, or roof if yon 
choose so to call it, of the lodge. 1 was assigned a place iu the west. 
The sick woman was directed to move from the position she occupied 



Fig. 51. Tlie ^hImpIijU, or pliiuie'il wiiiuLi, 
OM aeeD tiom the dooi' of the me<liciDe 
lodge. 



MATTHEHB J CEREMONIES : PAINTING PICTURE. 423 

iu the soutl), and s\t, with her face to the east, at the junction of the 
two white serpents that cross one another on the picture. (Plate XV.) 
90. When she was seated the qagali began a song, accompanied by 
the usual rattling and druiiiniing. At a certain part of the song the 
chanter was seen to make a slight signal with his drumstick, a rapid 
strolic to the rear, when instantly a mass of animate evergreens — a 
moving tree, it seemed — sprang out from the space behind the singers 
and rushed towards the patient. A terrifying yell from the spectators 
greeted the ajiparition, when the man in green, acting as if frightened 
by the noise, retreated as quickly as he came, and in a moment notiiing 
could be seen in the space behind the singers but the shifting shadows 
cast by the tire. He was so thoroughly covered with spruce twigs that 
nothing of ills form save his toes could be distinguished wlien he rushed 
out iu the full glare of the tire. This scene was repeated three tin)es, at 
due intervals. 

97. Some time after the third repetition, the chanter arose, without 
interrupting his song, and proceeded to erase the picture with Lis rat- 
tle. He began with the mountain in the west ([)aragraph IGL'), which 
he completely leveled; next in order he erased the track of the bear; 
next, the hole in the center; and then, one by one, the various other 
figures, ending with the serpents on the outside. In erasing the ser- 
pents, he began with the figures in the east and followed the apparent 
course of the sun, ending with the figures iu the north. Wlieii the pict- 
ure was completely obliterated, the sand on which it had been drawn 
was collected, put iu a blanket, and cariied out of doors, to be thrown 
away. 

98. Then the sick woman was lifted by two other women and laid cu 
her side where the pictui'e had been, with her face to the east. U'hile 
she lay there, the medicine man, amid much singing, walkecl aiound 
her, inscribed on the eartli at her feet a straight line with his finger 
and erased it with his foot, inscribed at her head a cross and rubbed it 
out in the same manner, traced radiating lines in all directions from her 
body and obliterated them, gave her a light massage, whistled over her 
from head to foot and all around her, and whistled towards the smoKe 
hole, as if whistling something away. These acts were performed in 
the order in which they are recorded. His last operation on her was a 
severe massage, in which he kneaded every part of her body forcibly 
and imlled her joints hard, whereat she groaned and made demonstra- 
tions (if sutfering. This concluded, she rose. A blanket was spread on 
the ground on the north of the fire, near where the man in evergreens 
was concealed. At the last appearance of the man in evergreens the 
woman fell back ajijiarently paralyzed and suffering from dilliculty of 
breathing, all of which was probably feigned, liut was supposed to be 
a sign that the right remedy or ceremony fiu- her ailment had been found 
and that none other need be tried. The medicine man now proceeded 
to restore her to consciousness by drawing zigzag lines from her body 



424 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 



east aud west iuul straigbt lines north and south, like their symbols 
for the chain and sheet liglitnings, by stepping over her in diliereut 
directions, and by rattling. Wheu she had apparently recovered, he 
pressed the plumed wands aud the symbols for wings to different parts 
of her body, in the order and with the ceremonies described when 
referring to previous application made to her body. 

99. There were no more ceremonies that night. I remained in the 
medicine lodge until it was quite late. The men occupied their time in 
singing, rattling, gambling, and smoking. After a while some grew 
weary aud lay down to sleep. Being repeatedly assured that nothing 
more would happen until the whistle sounded in the morning, I left the 
lodge to roll myself in my blankets. Yet freciuently during the night, 

fearing I might have been de- 
ceived, I stealthily arose and 
visited the medicine lodge, only 
to tind all slumbering soundly. 

100. Sixth day. At five in 
the morning {Saturday, Octo- 
ber 25) the whistle .sounded and 
I hastened to the medicine 
lodge. There was much to be 
done ; the couriers were to be 
dressed and sent on their way, 
and a large picture was to be 
painted ; so the work had to be- 
gin early. 

101. The first thing done was 
to burn to charcoal the bundle 
of plants which had been gath- 
ered on the previous morning 
and liung over the door of tiie 
lodge inside. (Paragraph 90.) 
The charcoal was used in paint- 
ing the limbs of the akaniuilis 
or couriers. A basin of water 
containing soap root or amole 
(the root of Yucca baccafit and 
other species of yucca) was 
brought in, and after the medi- 
cine man had dabbed them with 
alittleof thesudstheakaninilis- 
elect washed themselves with 
it from head to foot, cleaning 
their hair well. Wheu the bath 




Fig. 52. Akauiiiili iea<ly for tUt* journey. 



was done, they were dabbed by the qa^ali with some other mixture con- 
tained in a waterproof wicker basin and were made to inhale the fra- 



MATTiiEWB.l CEREMONIES : PREPARING COTRIERS. 425 

grant fumes of some vegetable powder scattered on .i live eoal, wlueli, 
as nsnal, was " put out,'' iu a double sense, when tlie fumigation w;is 
over. Then the young men were dressed and adorned to look like 
Dsilyi' Xeyj'iui after Lis toilet iu the house of the i)nttertlies. (Paragraidi 
44.) Their legs and forearms were painted black, to represent the storm 
cloud. The outer aspects of these members were decorated with white 
zigzag streaks, to indicate the white lightning. Their laces were painted 
partly white and small white spots were scattered over their bodies. 
Downy eagle feathers were fastened to their hair ; ni'cklaces of shell and 
coral were hnug inMuind their necks, and over these were laid collars of 
beaver skin, with whistles attached, which had lain in frunt of the lodge 
the day before, near the ])lumed wands. (Paragrajjli 93, Fig. 51.) Small 
objects to represent wings were tied to their arms. Each was given 
one of the fawn skin bags (paragraph 90) with corn meal in it. In the 
hand of the akaniuili who was to go to the south was placed one of the 
(j'obolya, or plnmed wands, whose stem was painted black, the <'(ilor of 
the north, as a sign to all he might meet that he was a duly authorized 
messenger from a medicine lodge in the north. In the hand of the 
other akitninili was placed a blue shafted wand, to show that he came 
from the south. Thus ecpiipped they were all ready for the journey. 
(Fig. 5L'.) 

lOL'. Tiie chanter gave them his messages, telling them where to go, 
what places they were to visit, what other chanters they were to see, 
what dancers they were to invite, and what gifts they were authorized 
to offer to the visiting performers for their trouble. Having given 
these special instructions, he closed with the general instructions, which 
are always given to the akauinili, as follows: 

These [poiutiug to tbf eagle featlii-rs on tlie liead] will make for you a im-aiis of ris- 
ing as you progress. 

Tbese [poiutiug to the wiug symbols ou the ana] ^vill tjear you onwanl. 

This [poiutiug to the eollar of beaver siciu] will be a uicaus of rei'oguitinu for you. 
For this reason it hangs arouud your neek. 

Sprinkle meal across a little valley, across a big arroyo. 

Across the roots of a tree sprinkle meal and then you m,ay step over. 

Spriukle meal across a Hat rock. 

Theu the plumed M.'ind. For tliis puipose you r.-ii i \ ir, Ilijir they will re'-fignize 
you as coming from a holy place. 

103. The akaniuili on his journey scatters meal before him as directed 
iu these charges. He also scatters it ou the medicine men whom he 
visits, and for this reason he is called akaniuili, which signities meal 
sprinkler. 

104. When the last word of the instructions was uttered, the couriers 
departed, one to the north and one to the south. It was not later than 
7 o'clock when they left. As soon as they were gone, the work of paint- 
ing the picture appropriate to the day was begun. It was much more 
elaborate than the painting of the previous day. Although a dozen 
men worked on it, it was not linished until two o'clock. About the time 



42 () THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

it was done, the akiiuinili from the south returned. He was carefully 
divested of all his oruainents. The white paint was scraped carefully 
from his body and jireserved in the medicine bags of those who scrai)ed 
it off. Then he was led out of the lodge. 

105. AVhen the picture was finished, the shaman, having applied jtol- 
len in three places to each god, stuck around it in the ground, at regular 
intervals, the three iilumed wands which had stood before the door of 
the lodge all day and the wand which the akaninili from the south had 
Just brought back with him. This waud he placed at the south of the 
picture, and laid beside it the collar, wings, and plumes which the aka- 
ninili had worn. The fifth, or north, wand was still absent with the 
courier who went to the north. 

lOG. All was ready now for the treatment of the sick woman. She 
was sent for, and a crier went to the door of the lodge to announce 
that song and ceremony were to begin. Accompanied by another 
woman, she entereil, caiiying a basket with corn meal in it. This she 
.sjjrinkled lightly over the jiicture and then handed it to some of the 
assistants, who finished the work she had begun by strewing the meal 
plentifully on the figures. She sat on the form of the god iu the east, 
facing the door, with her feet extended, and her companion sat on the 
figure of the cornstalk in the southeast. (Plate XVI.) In the mean 
time the medicine man had made a cold infusion iu an earthen bowl and 
placed it on the hands of the rainbow figure (paragraph 100), laying over 
it a brush or spriidiler made of feathers, with a handle of colored yarn. 
When the women were seated, the chanter dipped his brush in the solu- 
tion; sprinkled the picture plentifully; touched each divine figure with 
the moistened brush in three jdaces — brow, mouth, and chest; admin- 
istered the infusion to the women, in two alternate draughts to each; 
drained the bowl himself; and handed it to the bystanders, that they 
might finish (he dregs and let none of the preciims stuff go to waste. 
Next came the fumigation. The woman whom we have designated as the 
companion rose from her seat on the picture and sat on the ground be- 
side the door. The principal patient retained her seat on the eastern 
god. Xear each a live coal was laid on the ground. On the coal a 
strong scented but rather fragrant mixture was thrown, and as the 
fumes arose the women waved them towards their faces and breathed 
them in as before. The coal was extinguislied and carefully removed, 
as on ])revious occasions. The application of the sacred dust to the 
body of the patient followed. The shaman moistened his hands with 
saliva and pressed them to the feet of all the gods. Some of the pow- 
der, of course, stuck to his palms. This he applied to the feet of the 
patient. Thus he took dust from the knees, abdomens, chests, shoul- 
ders, and heads of the figures and applied it to corresponding i)arts of 
the patient's form, making a stn)ng massage with each application. 

1(17. When the ]iatient had dei)arted many of the spectators advanced 
to the picture and gathered thecorn pollen (paragraphs 105 and 112), now 



MAmiEws) CEREMONIES: TREATMENT OF THE PATIENT. 427 

rendered doubly sacred, and nut it in tbeir medicine bags. Some took 
portions of the remaining dust from the figures, after the manner of 
the shaman, and api)lied it to ailing portions of their persons. If the 
devotee had disease in his legs, he took dust from the legs of the fig- 
ures; if in his head, the dust was taken from the heads of the figures, 
and so on. 

lOS. Bj- the time they were all done the picture was badly marred; 
yet its general form and some of the details were quite distinguishable. 
Then it became the province of the chanter to completely obliterate it. 
He began with the white god in the east and took in turn the figures 
in the southeast (corn), south, southwest, west, center, northwest, north, 
and northeast. Next, the figure of the rainbow was erased from foot 
to head, and, on his way, the chanter knocked down, with rather vicious 
blows, the plumed wands which stood up around the picture. When 
he came to the round figure in the center he dug up a cup which liad 
been buried there. He erased the picture with a long slender wantl 
and sang in tiie mean time, to the accompaniment of the rattling of his 
assistants, a plaintive chant in a minor key, which was jierhaiis the 
most melodious Indian song I ever heard. All was over at half i)ast 
2 in the aftcruonn. 

ion. Later in the day it was announced that the other ak;iniiiili was 
approaching from the north. He could then be observed about a mile 
away in an open i)laiii. As he advanced the sound of his whistle was 
heard. At exactly half past -4 he entered the medicine loilgc, w luae 
the chanter motioned him to a seat in the south. Singing ami latiling 
were at once begun and the akaninili was divested of his tra])pings in the 
following order: head ]ihimes, beaver collar, necklace, right wing, left 
wing, belt, sash, moccasins. The white paint was removed ami ])re- 
served as on the former occasioti. He was led out of the lodge, where 
he was well washed from head to foot in a hot decoction of the deter 
gent amole and dried with corn meal. Two large blood blisters were 
to be seen on the inner aspects of his thighs, brought on by the friction 
of his breechcloth in running. He said that he had run constantly 
when not in sight from our camp, had traveletl a long way since morn- 
ing, and was very tired. It seems to be the custom with the akaninilis 
to walk slowly when near camp and to run when out of sight, jirobalily 
to follow the mythic examples of TIafescini and Imlsiska'i. (Para.Liiaph 
G.3.) 

!!(•. With the toilet of the akaninili the ceremonies of the day ended. 
He returned to the lodge to relate his adventures and get some foml. 
During the day visitors arrived occasionally from distant canips. In 
the afternoon there were several young men jiresent, who busied them- 
selves in grubbing and clearing the ground where the corral was to be 
built and the great dance of the last night was to be held. I re- 
mained in the lodge until it was quite late, and I frequently rose during 
the night to .see if anything was going on; but the night passed with- 
out event, like the previous one. 



428 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

111. Seyentu day. The iiaiutiiig of the picture aud the treatment 
of tbe sick woiiiau were the only works perfoniied on this day (Sun- 
day, October 20). The whistle sounded from the lodi:e at a. in., 
but already the plumed wauds aud the beaver collars had been placed 
before tlie door of the medicine lodge and the sand for the groundwork 
of the picture had been brought in. As the i>icture (Plate XVII) was to 
be larger than those which preceded it, the fire was moved quite near 
to the door; the heated earth which lay under the fire in its former 
position was dug up and replaced witli cold earth, probably for the 
comfort of the artists. 

112. The work of the painters was begun soon after G a. m. and was 
not completed until about 2 j). m. About a dozen men were engaged 
on it, aud it occupied them, as we have seen, about eight hours. As 
usual, the qa^ali did very little of the manual labor; but he constantly 
watched the work and frequently criticised aud corrected it. When the 
painting was done, it became his dut.y to apply tlie sacred corn pollen 
to the brow, mouth, aud chest of each of the gods and to set up the 
bounding Qobol^-a or plumed wauds. After this he placed a bowl of 
water on the left hand of the white god — the form second from the 
uorth — threw into it some i)Owdered substance to make a cold decoc- 
tiou, and laid the sprinkler on top of it. (Paragraph 100.) 

113. Tlie whistle was blown. The herald announced that all was 
ready. The sick woman aud her companiou entered, and one after 
the other cast meal upon the floor. The former took oft' her moccasins 
aud sat on the ground near the door while a song was snug. Then she 
sat on the form of the white god, her companion sat on the form of the 
blue god, and the singing and rattling were resumed. Without inter- 
rupting his song the chanter sprinkled the picture with the infusion, 
applied the moistened sprinkler to the breast, head, and brow of each 
of the gods in the following order: white, blue, yellow, black, and sat 
dowu to finish his chant. He administered the decoctions to his patient 
in two draughts, to her companion in two draughts, to himself (lionest 
physician!) in the same manner, and gave as before (paragraph 100) 
the dregs to the bystanders. He applied the dust from different jjarts 
of the divine figures to the sick woman, in much the same manner as 
on tlio pre\ious day, and while doing this he obliterated the pictures of 
the little auimals over the head of the white god. The fuiuigation of 
both women was repeated with exactly the same rites as on the second 
day, and the fumes had precisely the same odor on this occasion as on 
that. When the coals were extinguished and taken out, the chanter 
said to the women, "kac^'" (now), whereat they arose and left the lodge. 

114. As soon as they were gone the work of obliteration began. The 
figures of the gods were rubbed out in the usual order (white, blue, 
yellow, black, rainbow), the erasure in each case proceeding from foot 
to head. The plumed wands fell as before, simultaneously with tlie 
destruction of the rainbow. The sand was carried out at half past 2 
o'clock and no further rites were i)erformed duriug the <lay. 



JIATTHKWS 



CEREMONIES : GREAT WOOD PILE. 



429 



115. Eighth day. The i>ictiue jiaiiiteil on jMoiulay (October 27) 
was of a simple character, and Iieiice did not occupy much time. The 
woik was liegun at 7 a. in. and was fuiished at 10 a. ni. Of the four 
shorter or interior arrows (Plate XVIII), that which stands second 
from the north was regarded as the airow of the cast and was begun 
first. On this arrow the sick woman was placed, sitting with her face 
to the east, when she came to be treated and fumigated. Tiie bowl of 
infusion was laid on the point of tlie arrow imuiediately to her left, 
regarded as the arrow of the north. The medicine man put the pollen 
on the base, on the i-ed cross lines near tlie center, and on the white tips. 
All the ceremonies which took place between the completion and the 
obliteration of the picture (the planting of the five plumed wands, the 
sprinkliug of the picture with meal, the sprinkling and administration 
of the infusion, the application of the colored dust to the person of 
the patient, the fumigation of the two women, the whistling, tlie sing- 
ing, and rattling) were essentially the same as those observed on the 
previous day. In taking the dust from the picture, however, the sha- 
man apjilied his hands only to the bases of the arrows. The ceremony 
of obliteration was also a rei)etition of the rites of the previous day. 

116. The building of the great stack of wood (Fig. .53) which was to 
I'urnish the fire in the center of the corral on the last night went on 













c-:- "^^f -<^ -*- 



1 ^ W J> -ViWi* 



Fir.- 53. Tbe great woml j.ile. 

simultaneously with the painting of the pi(;ture. Both tasks wcic 
begun and ended about the same time. The wood in the big pile was 
dead, long seasoned juui[)er and cedar, fuel of the most inflammable 
character. The pile was about twelve feet high and sixty paces in cir- 



430 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

cumference. Large (luantities of this dry wood were also brought and 
placed outside the space allotted to the corral, to replenish the fires 
when needed. 

117. In the afternoon there were no eeremonies in the medicine lodge. 
The qncj-ali and his assistants took a half holiday, and not without de 
serving it, for they had wrought well for three days and they had a long 
day's work and a long night's work still before them. A large number of 
people had by this time assembled, and from tiuie to time more arrived. 
Tliioughout the sjiarse grove which surrounded us, little temporary 
corrals and huts of boughs were going up in every direction. In more 
secret spots in the rugged walls of a canon, about half a mile from the 
medicine lodge, other shelters were erected, where visiting performers 
were to prepare themselves on the last night. Many young men were 
busy in the afternoon cutting dowu the trees and lopping off the 
branches which were to form tlic great corral (the ilnasjin, tlie dark 
circle of branches) on the next day. Some of the visiting women were 
busy giinding meal and attending to dirterent household duties; others 
played cards or engaged in the more aboriginal pastime of azcjileil, a 
game played with tliree sticks and I'oi ty stones, the latter for counters. 

118. The friends of the sick woman prepared the alkan, a great corn 
cake baked in the earth, the manufacture of which gave evidence of 
the antiquity of the process. Tiie batter was mixed in one large hole 
in the ground lined with fresh sheepskin. It was baked in another 
hole in which a fire had been burning for many hours, until the sur- 
rounding earth was well heated. The fire was removed ; the hole lined 
with corn husks; the batter ladled in and covered with more coru- 
husUs ; hot earth and hot coals were spread over all. The cake was 
not dug np until the following day, and was designed chiefly for the 
special entertainment of those who were at work in the medicine lodge. 

119. Ninth day (until sunset). On Tuesday (October 28) the 
work iu the lodge consisted in preparing certain properties to be used 
in the ceremonies of the night. These were the wands to be used in the 
first dance, the k;'itso-yis(;an or great plumed arrows, and tlie trees 
wliicli the dancers pretended to swallow. 

ll-'K. The wand of tlie nahil;ai was made by paring down a straight 
>lender stick of aromatic sumac, about three feet long, to the general 
tliickness of less than half an inch, but leaving a head or button at one 
end. A ring was fasiiioned from a transverse slice of some hollow or 
pithy plant, so that it would slide freely up and down the slender wand, 
but would not pass over the head. Eagle down was secured to the 
wooden head and also to the ring. Iu the dance (paragraph li'!») the 
eagle down on the stick is burned off in the fire while the ring is held 
in the palm of the hand. When the time comes for the wand to grow 
white again, as the name nahikai expresses it, the ring is allowed to 
leave the i)ahn and .slide to the other end of the stick. 

ll'l. The great plumed arrows were deceptions somewhat similar iu 
character to the wands. One-half of the arrow was made of a slender 



MATTiiFw-J CEREMONIES: PREPARING IMPLEMENTS. 431 

hard twig- of cliff rose; the otlier half was formed of soiiie pithy siif- 
frntic'ose herb which I coahl not determine satisfactorily, as 1 sau only 
the cut sections and was not i)ermitted to handle these. The pith was 
lemoved sons to allow the wonden part to move into the herby part 
with a telescopic meelianism. The herbaceous portion was so covered 
with feathers that nothing could be seen of its surface. A large stone 
arrowhead was attached to the wooden shaft. When the actor pre- 
tended to swallow this he merely held the stone i>oint lirndy between 
his teeth and forced the upper or plumed shaft down on the lower or 
wooden shaft. It was an excellent inception, and i>resented to the or- 
dinary obseiver all the appearance of genuine ari'ow swallowing. 

122. The pihon saplings, which the dancers also pretended to swallow, 
had no deceptive arrangement. They were slender little trees trimmed 
at the butt into a broad, thin, we<lge shaped point, which was carefully 
smoothed by rubbing it with sandstone, so that no offensive splinters 
should present themselves to the lips of the dancers. The smooth end 
was painted red, probably to make the spectators, at night, by the un- 
certain tirelight, suppose that the dissemblers had torn their throats iu 
their great eftbrts. Sometimes the saplings have all their branches 
removed, and are then trimnied with cross pieces and circles of ever- 
green sprays. In most cases, however, I have seen the sapling used in 
its natural condition. 

123. As each set of implements was completed there was a ceremony 
with singing and rattling, the men who were to use them at night 
partook of powdered medicines on thc'r extended t<nigiics, from the 
hands of the chanter, and then practiced themselves in the use of the 
implements. Although they well knew the deceptive nature of these 
articles and fully understood the fraiuls they were preparing to per- 
petrate on the public, these young men seemed to view the w hole work 
with high reverence and treat it with the greatest seriousne.^-s. For 
instance, when, in the secrecy of the lodge, they went through the 
motions of swallowing the trees they showed indubitable signs of fear: 
all lookeil anxious, some trembled quite perceptibly, and one looked as 
pale as a live Indian can look. They i>rolialily dreaded the di.spleasuri^ 
of the gods if all were not done well. 

124. Last night. Just after sunset the old chanter posted himself 
some paces to the east of the great woodi)ile, on the spot where the gate 
of the corral was to be, and began a song. Simultaneous with the begin- 
ning of the song was the commencement of the building of the dark 
circle. All the young and middleaged men in cam[) assisted. Tiiey 
dragged the branches from where they had been cut down in the neigh- 
boring woods and put them in position in the circle with great celerity. 
The work was all done in less than an hour, during which time the 
chanter ceased not for an instant his song and rattle. When the fence 
was finished to his sati.sfaclidn he stopped his song and the lalwns of 
the workmen ceased with rhesound. When finished the corral averaged 



432 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

about forty paces in diameter, and tlie fence wa.s about eight feet bigb, 
with an opening left in the east about ten feet wide. 

125. The moment the dark circle of branches was finished it inclosed 
sacred ground. Any dog who dared to enter was chased out with 
shouts and missiles. The man or woman who came must, on the first 
occasion, i)ass around to the left, i. e., to the south of the great wood- 
jjile. No one was allowed to peep through the fence or look over the 
edge of it to witness the ceremonies. That i)art of the auditorium was 
reserved for the spirits of the bears and other ancestral animal gods. 
2so horse might be led into the inclosure until after sunrise next 
morning, when the fence was razed and all became common soil once 
more. 

IL'6. When the night began to fall many of the visitors moved all 
their goods into the corral and lighted there a uuuibcr of small fires close 
to the fence, temporarily abandoning their huts and shelters outside. 
Those who did not move in left watchers to protect their property ; for 
there are thieves among the Navajo. The woods around the corral 
were lighted up in various directions by the fires of those who had not 
taken their property into the great inclosure and of parties who were 
l)racticing dances and shows of an exoteric character. 

127. The nocturnal performances of tJiis evening (Tuesday, October 
28, 1881) were as meager as any I have seen within the dark circle of 
branches. The best show I ever witnessed in the circle was one which 
took place at Ream's Canon, Arizona, on the oth of Kovember, 1882. 
For this reason I will make the notes taken on the latter occasion the 
basis of my description of the " corral dance," adding as I proceed 
such comments as may be justified by subsequent observation and in- 
foiination. 

128. At 8 o'clock a band of musicians which I will call the orclicstra 
entered, sat down beside one of the small fires in the west, and began 
to make various vocal and instrumental noises of a musical chaiactcr, 
which continued with scarcely any interruption until the close of the 
dance in the morning. At the moment the nuisic began the great cen- 
tral fire was lighted, and the confiagration spread so rapidly through 
the entire [)ile that in a few moments it was enveloped in great fiames. 
A storm of sparks fiew upward to the height of a hundred feet or more, 
and the descending ashes fell in the corral like a light shower of snow. 
The heat was soon so intense that in the remotest parts of the inclos- 
ure it was necessary for one to screen his face when he looked towards 
the fire. And now all was ready to test the endurance of the dancers 
who must expose, or seem to expose (j)aragrai)h 14!)), their naked breasts 
to the torrid glow. 

12tt. First dance (Plate XII). When the fire gave out its most in- 
tense heat, a warning whistle was heard in the outer darkness, and a 
dozen forms, lithe and lean, dressed only in the narrow white breech- 
cloth and moccasins, and daubed with wliite eaith until they seemed a 
grouj) of living marbles, came bounding through the entrance, yelping 



MATTiiEHs.! CEREMOXIKS: DANCE OF NAHIKAI. -J 33 

like ^^olves aud slowly moving around the tire. As tliey advanced in 
single tile tbey tlirew tbeir bodies into divers attitudes — some grace- 
ful, some strained and ditiicult, some menaeiug. Now they faced tlie 
east, now the south, the west, the north, bearing alolt their slender 
wands tipped with eagle down, holding and waving them with suipris. 
iug effects. Tiieir course around the tire was to the left, i. e., from the 
east to the west, l»y way of the south, and bacli again to the east by 
way of the north, a course taken by all the dancers of the night, the 
order never being reversed. When they had encircled the fire twice 
they began to thrust their wands toward it, and it soon became evident 
that their object was to burn off the tips of eagle down; but owing to 
the intensity of the heat it was difficult to accomi)lish this, or at least 
they acted well the part of striving against such ditiiculty. One would 
dash wildly towards the fire and retreat; another would lie as close to 
the ground as a frightened lizard and endeavor to wriggle himself up 
to the fire; others sought to catch on their wands the sparks flying in 
the air. One ajjproached th» framing mass, suddenly threw himself on 
his Itack with his head to the fire, and swiftly tlirust his wand into the 
tlames. ^laiiy were the unsuccessful attempts: Imt, at length, one by 
one, they all succeeded in burning the downy balls from the ends of 
their wands. As each accomplisiied this feat it became his next duty 
to restore the ball of down. The mechanism of this I rick has l)eeu 
described (paragraph 1-0), but the dancer feigned to produce the won- 
derful result by merely waving his wand up aud down as he continued 
to run around the tire. M'heii he succeeded he held his wand up iu tri- 
umph, yelped, aud rushed out of the corral. The last man pretended 
to have great difficulty in restoriug the down. When at last be gave 
his triumphant yell and departed it was ten minutes to !>. The dance 
had lasted twenty minutes. 

130. In other repetitions of this ceremony the writer has witnessed 
more of burlesque than on this occasion. Sometimes the performers have 
worn immense false mustaches, exaggerated imitations of spectacles 
aud of other belongings of their white neighbors. Sometimes the 
dance has assumed a character which will not be described in this place 
(paragraph lifi). It is called nabikai-alil. The former wordsignifies '• it 
becomes white agaiu" and refers to the i-eappearauce of the eagle down. 
The show is said to have been introduced among the Xavajo at the 
great corral dance mentioned in the myth (i>aragraphs()!>-72) by a tribe 
fi om the south named (/'ildjehe. It is no essential part of the rites of the 
dark circle, yet I have never known it to be omitted, ]irobably because 
it is a most suitable dance for tlie time when the fire is the hottest. 

131. Scc(>)id (lance. After an interval of three quarters of an hour, 
the dance of tlie katsoyiscau, the great plumed arrow, the potent 
healing ceremony of the night, began. There were but two performers. 
They were dressed and arrayed much like the akaninili, but tliey bore 
no meal bags, wore no beaver collars, aud the parts of their bodies that 

5 KTH-= — '-'S 



434 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 



were not paiuted black — legs and forearms — were daubed with white 
eartli. lustead of the wand of the iikiiuiuili, each bore in his liaud one 
of the great [)lunied arrows. While they were makirg the usual circuits 
around the tire, the patient (a man on this occasion) was placed sitting 
on a bufl'alo robe in front of the orchestra. They halted before the pa- 





FlG. 54. DauciT hoklinjr up ihf great plunn-d 
arrow. 



Fig. 55. Dancer 



swallow ing 
arrow. 



' the great plumed 



tient; each dancer seized his arrow between his tliaiiib and forefinger 
about eight inches from the tii), held the arrow up to view, giving acoyote- 
like yelp, as if to say, '-So far will I swallow it" (Fig. 5-1), and then ap- 
peared to thrust the arrow, .slowly and painfully, down his throat (Fig. 
55) as far as indicated. \Vhile the arrows seemed still to be stuck in 
their throats, they danced a chasse, right and left, with ^hort, shuffling 



MATTHEWS] CEREMONIES: DANCE OF GREAT PLUMED ARROW. 435 

Steps. Tlieu tliey witbdrew the arrows, ami held iLein up to view as 
before, with triuinphaut yelps, as if to say, " So far have I swallowed 
it." Syn)pathizers in the aadieuceyeliied in response. The uext thiny 
to be done was to apply the arrows. One of the dancers advanced 
to the i»atient, and to the soles of the feet of the latter he presse<l tlie 
luagic weapon with its point to the right, and again with its pdint to the 
left. In a similar manner he treated the knees, hands, abilomen, back, 
shoulders, crown, and mouth iu the oider named, giving tliree coyote- 
like yelps after each api)lication. When the first dancer had completed 
the work, the other took his place and went through exactly the same 
l)erf()rniauce. This finished, the sick man and the buffalo robe were 
removed. The bearers of the arrows danceil once more around the tire 
and departed. 

132. The plumed arrow is freijuently referred to in the songs of this 
rite. It seems to be the most revered iuiplement and the act in w liicli 
it ai>i)ears the most revered alili of the night. All the other shows may 
be omitted at will, but the dance of the katso-yisyan, it is said, must 
uever be neglected. I have witnessed other performances where the 
arrow swallowers reappcareil with their numbers increased to sis or 
eight. The additional dancers all pretended to swallow arrows, but 
they did not apply them to the patient. The origin of this alili is well 
accounted for in the myth (paragrai)hs 47, '^~>, and CO), and the pectdiar 
significance of the injunctidii not to l)reak the arniw is easily uiuler- 
stood when we know iiow the arrow is made. 

bj.'?. Third (htncc. At 10 o'clock the sdund of tht^ whistle again called 
the spectators to attention and a line of twenty-three dancers came in 
sight. The one who led the i)roc ssiou bore in his hand a whizz er (Fig. 
50) such as schoolboys use, a stick tied to the end of a string ; this he 
constantly whirled, producing a sound like that of a rain storm. After 
him came one who represented a character, tlie Yebaka (anglicized, 
Yayliaka), from the great nine days' ceremony of the kledji-cjacal, or 
night chant, and he wore a blue buckskin mask that belongs to the 
character referred to. From time to time he gave the peculiar hoot or 
call of the Yaybichy, "hu'hu'hu-hu'' (paragraph 3i'). After him fol- 
lowed eight wand bearers. They were dressed like the bearers of the 
great i)luQ)ed arrows ; but instead of an arrow each bore a wand made 
of grass, cactus, and eagle plumes. The rest of the band were choris- 
ters iu ordinary dress. As they were all j)roceeding round the tire for 
the fourth time they halted in the west, the choristers sat and the stand- 
ing wand bearers formed a double row of four. Then the Yaybaka 
began to hoot, the orch(>stra to play, the choristers to sing, the whizzer 
to make his mimic storm, and the wand bearers to dance. The latter, 
keeping perfect time with the orchestra, went through a series of fig- 
ures not uidikc those of a modern ipiadrille. In our terpsichorean no- 
menclature the "calls" might have thus been given: "Forward and 
back. Chassez twice. Face partners. Forward and back. Forward 
and bow. Forward and embrace. Forward and wave wands at part- 



436 



THK MdlNTAl.N CHANT. 



Sectiuu. 



neis, ■' &c. AVheii .several of tliese evolntious had been ijerfoiiiied in 
a graceful and orderly luauner, tbc choristers rose, and all went sing- 
ing out at the east. 

134. Three times more the same baud returued. In the third and 
fonitli acts the wands were exchanged for great i)iuou poles (eight to 
ten feet long), portions of which they pretended to swallow, as theii' 
predecessors had done with the arrows. (Paragraph 48.) That the 
simple and devoted Pueblo Indian does actually, in dances of this 
character, thrust a stick far down his gullet, to the great danger of 
health and (^ven of life, there is little reason to doubt; but the wily Xavajo 
attempts no such jjrodigies of deglutitiou. A careful observation of 
their movements on the tirst occasion convinced me that the stick never 
pas.sed below the fauces, and subsequent experience in the medicine 
lodge only strengthened the conviction (paragraph 121). 

13.1. The instrument designated above as the whizzer is a thin, flat, 
pointed piece of wood, painted black and sparkling with the specular 
iron ore which is sprinkled on the surface ; three small 
pieces of tunpioise are inlaid in the wood to represent 
eyes and mouth. One whizzer which I e.xamined was 
nine inches long, one and three fourths inches broad, 
and about a quarter of an inch thick in the thickest 
part. (Fig. 5C.) To it was attached a string about two 
feet long, by means of which the centrifugal motion was 
imparted to it. It is called by the Navajo tsin-^e'ni-, 
or groaning stick. It is used among many tribes of the 
southwest in their ceremonies. The Navajo chanters 
say that the sacred groaning stick may only be made of 
the wood of a pine tree which has been struck by light- 
ning. 

13G. In the Fourth dance there were about thirty chor- 
isters, in ordinary dress, bearing pinon wands: there 
was a man who shook a rattle, another who whirled the 
groaning stick, and there were three princii)al dancers, 
wearing fancy masks and representing characters from 
the rites of the kledji (ia(;al or dance of the " Yaybichy." 
These three danced a lively and graceful jig, in per- 
fect time to the ninsic, with many bows, waving of 
wands, simultaneous evolutions, and other i)retty mo- 
tions which might have graced the spectacular drama 
of a metropolitan theater. Three times they left the 
corral for a moment, and returning varied the dance, 
and always varied to imjuove. The wands they bore 
were large light frames of reeds adorned with large 
eagle plumes. 

137. After this there was an interval of neaiiy an 
Lour, which passed slowly with those in the corral. Some smoked and 
gos.siped; some listened to the never ceasing din of the orchestra or 



Fir,. 5G. The whh- 
■j.fj. 



MATTHKWf] CEKEMO.VIES : SfTICK SWALLOWING ; SUN SHOW. 437 

joiiH'd in the chant; some brought in wood and repleni.shed the waning 
flres; some, wrapped in their scrapes, stretched themselves on the 
ground to catch short naps. 

13S. Fifth thnicc. It was after niidui.i;ht wlien tlie blowinj;' ot a hoarse 
buft'ah) horn announced the approach of tho.>e who were to perforiu the 
fifth (hince, the tcbhanoai alili or sun show. There were twenty four 
choristers and a rattler. There were two character dancers, who were 
arrayed, like so many others, in liitle clothing and much [>aint. Their 
heads and arms were adorned with plumes of the war eagle, their uecks» 
with rich necklaces of genuine coral, their waists with valuable silver 
studded belts, and their loins with bright sashes of crimson silk. Oue 
bore on his back a round disk, nine inches in diameter, decorated with 
radiating eagle plumes to represent the sun. The other carried a disk, 
six and a half inches in diameter, siniilarlj- ornamented, to symbolize 
the moon. Each bore a skeleton wand of reeds that reminded one of 
the frame of a great kite; it was ornamented with i)endant eagle plumes 
that swayed with eveiy motion of the dancer. While the whole party 
was passing round the tire in the usual manner wands were waved aiul 
heads bowed -towards the flames. When it stopped in the west the 
choristers sat and sang and the rattler stood and rattled, while the 
bearers of the sun and the n;oon danced at a lively rate for just three 
minutes. Then the choristers rose and all sang and danced themselves 
out of sight. A second i>erformance of this dance came between the 
first and second repetitions of the next slmw. 

].31>. I have recorded oue story (but have heard of another) accounting 
for the origin of this dance; it is as follows: When Dsilyi- Xeyani vis- 
ited the mountain of Bistcagi, the home of Estsan (^igini, these divine 
beings had for ornaments on their walls the sun and the moon. ^Vllcn 
the great mythic dance was given tliey were among the guests. They 
brought their wall decorations, and when the time for their alili came 
they wore the sun and the moon on their backs when they <lanced. 

110. The Sixth dance, that of the standing arcs, was both pictnres(|ue 
and ingenious. The principal performers weie eight in number, as nsiud 
with scanty clothing. Their hair fell loose and long over back and 
shoulders and each bore in front of him, held by I)oth hands, a wooden 
arc. ornamented with eagle i)lumes. The einls of tiie arc (which was a 
full semicircle) showed tufts of i)inon twigs, and they were evidently 
joined together by a slender string, which wasiuvisible to the audience. 
Besides the eight principal actors, there was a rattler, a bearer of the 
groaning stick, and a chorus. While all were making the fourth circuit of 
the tire, frequent shouts of "(j'bhe!(j'bhel"( Englished, Thohay — '•Standi 
stand.'"' or "Stay! stay!") were heard, the siguificance of which .soon 
became aiiparent. When they stojiited in tlie west, the eight character 
dancers lirst went through various quadrille like figures, such as were 
witnessed in the third dance, and then knelt in two rows that faced one 
another. At a word from the raitler the man who was nearest to him 



438 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

(wlioiu 1 will call No. 1) arose, advanced to the man who knelt opposite to 
him (No. 2) with rapid, shnflling steps, and amid a chorus of "Tliohay ! 
Tlibhay!" placed his arc with caution upon the head of the latter. Although 
it was held in position bj- the friction of the pifion tufts at each ear and 
by the pressure of the ends of the arc, now drawn closer by the sub- 
tending string, it had the appearance of standing on the head without 
material support, and it is probable that many of the uninitiated believed 
that only the magic intlueuce of the oft-repeated word "Thohay " kejit it 
ill position. When the arc was secured in its phxce, No. 1 retreated with 
shufdiug steps to his former position and fell on his knees again. Im- 
mediately No. 2 advanced and placed the arc which he held in his hand 
on the head of No. 1. Thus each in turn placed his arc on the head of 
the one who knelt oiipo.site to him until all wore their beautiful halo-like 
headdresses. Then, holding their heads rigidly erect, lest their arcs 
should fall, the eight kneeling figures began a splendid, well timed 
chant, which was accentuated by the clapping of hands and joined in by 
the chorus. When the chant was done the rattler addressed the arc 
bearers, warning them to be carefnl ; so they cautiously arose from their 
knees and shnflied with stiffened spines out of the corral, preceded by 
the choristers. This dance was repeated after the second performance 
of the fifth dance. 

141. Seventh (hrnce. The arc bearers had scarcely disajipeared when 
another troupe entered the circle, the butl'alo horn announcing their 
coming. A man with a whizzer led the procession. The choristers, in 
ordinary dress, were thirteen in number. The principal dancers were .■ 
but two; they wore the usual sash and belt; the uncovered skin was ^ 
painted white; they had on long blue woolen stockings of Navajo make .^ 
and moccasins. Each bore a slender wand of two triangles of reeds, 
adorned at the corners with pendant plumes. They sainted the fire as 

they danced around it. They halted in the west, where the choristers 
sat down, and the two wand bearers danced for three minutes in a lively 
and graceful manner, to the music of the whizzer, the rattle, the chor- 
isters, and the dram of the orchestra. These returned twice more, mak- 
ing some variation in their performance each time. In the second act * 
the rattler brought in under his arm a basket containing yucca leaves, 
and a prayer was said to the sun. It is jjossible that this dance was 
but a preliminary part of the eighth dance, but it must be described as 
a separate alili. 

142. Eighth dance. In this there were sixteen performers, in ordinary 
Navajo dress. One of these bore the whizzer and led the procession; 
another, who came in the center of the line, carried a hewn plank, or 
])uncheon, about 12 feet long and 4 inches broad, painted with spots and 
decorated with tufts of pihon bianchlets and with eagle plumes; imme- 
diately behind the bearer of tlie plank walked a man who had in a bas- 
ket an efKgy of the sun, formed of a small round mirror and a number 
of radiating scarlet plumes. Having walked around the Are as usual. 



•J 



li 



jiATTHFws.l CEREMONIES: DANCE OF 1 1 1 K MAM UNO ARCS 439 

th(.' whole jiarty gntbort-d in the west in a close circle, which eoiiii)letely 
cxchuled from the sight of the audience the operations of the actors. 
Singing-, rattling, and cries of '-Tlioliay I'' were heard. In a few ininntes 
the circle opened and the hewn ])bnik, standing upright on a small Nav- 
ajo blanket, without any apparent prop or sujjport, was disclosed to view. 
At the base of the plaidc was the basket holding the figure of the sun. 
Singing was continued and so were the uproarious cries of "Thohay "— ^ 
cries anxious, cries appealing", cries commanding — while the bearer of 
the rattle stood facing the jiole and rattling vigorously at it. At length, 
seemingly in obedience to all this clamor, the solar image left the 
basket and slowly, falteringly, totteringly, ascended the plank to 
within a few inclies of the toji. Here it stopi)ed a moment and then 
descended in the same manner in which it rose. Once more was it 
made to rise and set, when the circle of dan(-ers again closed, the plank, 
sun, and basket were taken in custody, and the dancers departe<l. Tak- 
ing into consideration the limited knowledge and rude imi)lemcnts of 
the originators (for this alili is not of modern origin), this was a well 
])erformed trick. The means used for suiiporting the pole and pulling 
up the sun could not be detected. The dau(;ers formed a semicircle 
nearly ten feet distant from the pole and thelight of the central fire shone 
brightly upon all. 

143. Mnth choice. It was after I o'clock in the morning when the dance 
of the hoshkawn (Yuccn hnccata) began. (Fig. 57. See paragraph 3.) 
The ceremony was conducted in the first part by twenty-two persons in 
ordinary dress. One bore, exposed to view, a natural root of yucca, 
crowned with its cluster of root leaves, which remain green all winter. 
The rest bore in their hands wands of pinon. What other properties 
they may have had concealed under their blankets tlie reader will soon 
be able to conjecture. On their third journey around the tire they halted 
in the west and formed a close circle for the purpose of concealing their 
operations, such as was made in the eighth dance. After a minute spent 
in singing and many repetitions of " Thohay," the circle opened, disclosing 
to our view the yucca rnotplante<l in the sand. Again the circle closed; 
again the song, the rattle, and the chorus of '-Thohay'' were heard, 
and when the circle was opened the second time an excellent counter- 
feit of the small budding flower stalk was seen amid the fascicle of 
leaves. A third time the dancers formed their ring of occultatiou; 
after the song and din had continued for a few seconds the circle parted 
for the third time, when, all out of season, the great panicle of creamy 
yucca flowers gleamed in the firelight. The previous transformations 
of the yucca had been greeted with approving shouts and laughter; 
the blossoms were hailed with storms of applause. For the fourth and 
last time the circle closed, and when again it opened the blossoms had 
disappeared and the great, dark green fruit hung in abundance from 
the pedicels. When the last transformation was completed the dancers 



440 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 



went once iimie anmnil tin* tin' and (U'paited, leaviiii; the fruitful yucca 
behind them. 

144. Ill a moment after thev had (lisaiipeared the form of one per- 
.soiiatinu- an a^ctl, Ktni>i<l, short isishted, decrepit man was .'seeu to 
enierue slowly from among the crowd of spe:^'tators in the east. He 
was dressed in an old and woefully ragged suit and wore a high, pointed 



1 




f 



Flc. 



Yucca liacrnta. 



hat. His face was whitened and he bore a short, crooked, wooden how 
and a few crooked, ill made arrows, iiis mere appearance provoked the 
"stoic"' audience to screams of laughter, and his subsequent "low com- 
edy business," which excelled much that I have seen on the civilized 
stage, failed not to meet with ui)roarious demonstrations of apiiroval. 
Slowly advancing as he enacted his ])art, he iu time reached the i)laee 



MATTHEWS 1 CERKMONIES: HOSHKAWN DANCE. 441 

\\liere the yucca stood, aud, in his iiiibccile totterings, be at length stnin- 
bled on the plant and pretended to liave liis flesh lacerated by the shar|) 
leaves. He ga\e a trenuihins cry of pain, rnltbed salixa on the part 
supposed to be wonnded, and niuttered his coni]ilaints in a weak and 
shaking voice. He pretended then to seek tor the phmt, and was three 
times wounded in his efibrts to tind it. At length, kneeling on the 
ground, with his face buried in the leaves, he feigned to discover it, aud 
rejoiced with querulous extravagance over his success. ^Yheu he had 
marked tlie spot and the way back to it with an exaggerated burlesrpie 
of the Indian methods o{ doing these things, he went off to tind his 
••old womaii'' and bring her to pick the fruit. Soon he returned with 
a tall, stalwart man, dressed to represent a hideous, absurd looking old 
granny. The latter acted his part throughout (he rest of the drama 
with a skill fully equal to that of his comrade. 

14o. There were scenes in this di-aina which may not be told in this 
connection. It will suttice to say here that when the yucca fruit was 
jiicked and put in the basket the old man heljied the •' woman" to 
shoulder her load and the pair left the corral. Tiie hac]van-inc;r does 
not invariably appear in tlie corral dance. I have attended one cere- 
mony where it wasomitte<l. I have heard two descriptions of the dance 
which dilfered very much fi'om the one given abo\-e. 

14(>. Many facts concerning not only theliackan \i\(;A\ but other jiarts 
of the mountain chant, have not been allowcil to apjiear in this es--ay. 
Kecognized scientists may learn of them by addressing the author 
through the Director of tlie Bureau of I'lthnology. 

147. Tenth dunce. At twenty minutes jiast three an uninteresting per- 
fornmnce called the "bear dance" began. A man entered on all fours; 
his face was painted white; he wore around his loins and over his 
shoulders pieces of some dark pelt which may have been bearskin, but 
looked more like the skin of a black sheep. The tire had now burned 
low and the light was dim. He was accompanied by two attendants, 
one of wliom carried a rattle. Oe went twice around the ring, imitating 
the lumbering gait of the liear. lie occasionally made a clumsy lunge 
sidewise at some of the s|)ectators, as though he would attack them; 
but oil these occasions the man with the rattle headed him off and rat. 
tliiig in his face directed him back to the usinil coui'se around tiic tiie. 
This show lasted five minutes. 

I-IS. Tlie EUroith (/«»(■/■ was the tire dance, t)r tire play, which was tiie 
most pi<'turesque and startling of all. Some time before the actors 
enteied, we heard, mingled with the blowing of the buffalo horn, strange 
soiimls, imich like the call of the sandhill crane; they will, for I'on- 
venieiice, be called trumpeting. These sounds coiitinned to grow louder 
and couie nearer until tiiey were heard at the opening in the east, and 
in a second after, ten men, having no more clothing on than the per- 
formers in the flrst dance, enteied. Every man except the leader bore 
along thick bundle of shredded cedar bark in each hand and one had 



I 



442 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

two oxtia bundles ou his shoulders for the later use of the leader. The 
latter carried four siiiall fagots of the same material in his hands. Four 
times they all danced around tbe Mre, waving their bundles of bark 
towards it. They halted in the east; the leader advanced towards the 
central fire, lighted one of his fagots, and trumpeting loudly threw it to 
the east over the fence of the corral. He performed a similar act at the 
south, at the west, and at the north ; but before the northern brand was 
thrown he lighted with it the bark bundles of his comrades. As each 
brand disappeared over the fence some of the spectators blew into their 
hands and made a motion as if tossing some substance after the depart- 
ing tlame. When the fascicles were all lighted the whole band began a 
wild race around the fire. At first they kept close together and spat 
upon one another some substance of supposed medicinal virtue. Soon 
they scattered and ran apparently without concert, the rapid racing 
causing the brands to throw out long brilliant streamers of flame over 
the hands and arms of the dancers. Then they proceeded to a])i)ly the 
brands to their own nude bodies and to the bodies of their comrades in 
front of them, no man ever once turning round; at times the dancer 
struck his victim vigorous blows with his flaming wand ; again he 
seized the flame as if it were a sponge and, keeping close to the one i)ur- 
sued, rubbed the back of the latter for several moments, as if he were 
bathing him. In the mean time the suflerer would perhaps catch up 
with some one in front of him and in turn bathe him in flame. At times 
when a dancer found no one in front of him he proceeded to sponge his 
own back, and might keep this up while making two or three circuits 
around the fire or until he caught up with some one else. At each ap- 
plication of the blaze the loud trumpeting was heard, and it often 
seemed as if a great flock of cranes was winging its way overhead south- 
ward through the darkness. If a brand became extinguished it was 
lighted again in the central fire; but when it was so far consumed as 
to be no longer held conveniently in the hand, the dancer dropped it and 
rushed, trumpeting, out of tiie corral. Thus, one by one, they all de- 
l)arted. When they were gone many of the spectators came forward, 
picked np some of the fallen fragments of cedar bark, lighted them, 
and bathed their hands in tbe flames as a charm against the evil eiJccts 
of fire. 

■141). Did these dancers, next day, hide sore and blistered backs under 
their scrapes ? I think not, for I have seen and conversed with some of 
the performers immediately after the fire show, and they seemed hai)py 
and had nothing to complain of. Did the medicine they si)at on one 
another save them? Certainly not, all hough the Indians claim it is a 
true jirophylactic against burns and call it aze sakdzi or cold medicine. 
But it is probable that the cedar bark ignites at a low temjierature, 
and more than probable that the coating of white earth with which 
their bodies were covered is an ex(;ellent non-conductor. However, 
the thought that their bodies might have been thus ingeniously pro- 
tected lessened little, if any, the effect ])roduced ou the spectator. 1 



MATTHEWS 1 CEREMONIES: FIRE DANCE AND OTHER DANCES. 443 

have seeu uiauy tire scenes on the stage, many acts of fire eating and 
fire handling l)y civilized jugglers, and many fire dances by other In- 
dian tribes, but nothing quite comparable to this in all its scenic 
etiects. 

150. The closing ceremonies I did not witness on this occasion, but 
I saw them at subsequent dauces. Shortly before sunrise an assistant 
passed arouud the fire four times and sprinkled a little water on the 
mass of sn>oldering embers, while the medicine man chanted the ap- 
propriate song. Later, three gaps were torn in the circle of branches — 
one in the south, one in the west, and one in the north — making, with 
the original gate in the east, four entrances to the corral. (See Plate 
XIV.) Just after sunrise the entire circle of branches was razed, but 
the branches were not carried away. The traveler through the Navajo 
country often encounters withered remains of these circles. In the 
ceremony of October, 1884, the chanter, having another engagement 
which was pressing, packed up his sacred utensils and left soon after 
sunrise. The patient, it was said, was not permitted to sleep until alter 
sunset. 

1.51. Olhtr (lanecs. In subsequent dances I saw exhibitions which did 
not occur in the ceremony of Novemlter 5, 1882, Just described, and I 
have learned of other shows [troduced on the last night, which I have 
never had an opportunity to witness. All the alilis may be modified. 
I have rarely seen two performances of the same dance which were just 
alike. 

loU. On two occasions I have witnessed a very pretty <lance, in which 
an eagle plume was stuck upiight in a basket and by means of some 
well hidden mechanism caused to dance in good time to the song, the 
beat of the drum, aiul the motions of the single Indian who danced at 
the same time; not only this, Ijut the feather followed the motions of 
the Indian: if he danced toward the north, the feather leaned to the 
north while making its rhythmical motions; if he moved to the south, it 
bent its white head in the same direction, and so on. On one occasion 
it was a little boy, five years old, son of the chief Maiiuelit(», who 
danced with the eagle plume. lie was dressed and painted much like 
the akiininili, or the arrow swaliowers (Figs. 54, 'm), on a diminutive 
scale. The sash of scarlet velvet around his hips was beautifully 
trimmed with feathers. They said he had been several weeks in train- 
ing for the dance, and he cerrainly went through his varied motions 
with great skill. I have rarely seen a terpsichorean spectacle that 
struck my fancy more than that of the little Indian child and his 
partner, the eagle ])lniue. 

153. It might bethought that the word "thohay," so often used to make 
inanimate objects pay attention, wasone of very sacred import. So it is, 
no doubt; yet I haveseen it broadly burlesqued. It was on the occasion 
of the last '• chant " which I attended. A number of boys, from twelve 
to fifteen years of age they seemed, led by a pleasant looking old man 



f 



I 



444 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 



with a slu'ptical twinkle in his eye, catne iuto the dark ciirle. Oue of 
the iiarly carried a deep riidian baslxet, from the to|)of which a iiuniber 
of .spruce twigs protruded. Tiiey foniied what has been designated as 
the ring of occultation, and while doing so they shouted and sereanied 
and putted the talismanic " tlibhay " in a way that left no doubt of their 
intention to ridicule. Their extravagant motions added to the signifi- 
cauce of their intonation. Wiien the ring opened the boys sat on the 
ground and began to sing and beat a drum. The old man sat at a dis- 
tance of about three i)aces west of the basket. Presently the uose of a 
little weasel (the image being probably a stuffed skin) api)eared among 
the spruce boughs. All the timid, iu(iiiiring motions of the little animal 
were well mimicked: the nose was thrust forward and pulled back, 
the whole head would emerge and retreat, and at rare times the shoul- 
ders would be seen for a moment, to be quickly drawn in among the 
screening spruce twigs. All these motions were made in perfect time 
to the singing and drumming. The old man who pidled the actuating 
Strings niaile no secret of his niauii)uhitions. The i>lay was intended 
fn' a farce, and as such the spectators enjoyed it. 

THE GREAT PICTURES OF DSILYIDJE QACAL. 

1.54. A description of the four great pictures drawn in these ceremo- 
nies has been deferred until all might be described together. Their 
relations to one another rendered this the most desirable course to pur- 
sue. The pre[>aration of the grouinl and of the colors, the api)lication 
of the sacred pollen, and some other matters have been already consid- 
ered. 

1.55. The men who do the greater part of the actual work of |(aintiug, 
under the guidance of the chanter, have been initiated, but need not be 
skilled medicine men or even as|)irants to the craft of the shaman. A 
certain ceremony of initiation has been performed on them four times, 
each time during the course of a different dance, before they are ad- 
mitted into the lodge during the progress of the work or allowed to 
assist in it. The medicine man receives a good |)resent in horses for his 
work ; the assistants get nothing but their food. This, however, is 
abundant. Three times a day the ])erson for whose benetit the dance 
is i)erforined sends in enough mush, corn cake, souj), ami roasted mut- 
ton to satisfy to the utmost the appetites of all in the lodge. There are 
some young men who live well all winter by going around the country 
from dance to dance and assisting in the work of the lodge. 

l.")ti. The pictures are drawn according to an exact system. The 
shanmn is frequently seen correcting the workmen and making them 
erase and revise their work. In certain well defined instances the arti.st 
is allowed to indulge his individual fancy. This is the ease with the 
gaudy endjroidered i)ouches which the gods carry at the waist. Within 
reasonable Itounds the artist may give his god just as handsome a pouch. 



|l 



fe -^ 



o 
o 



c 

2 




MATTHEWS.] GREAT PICTURES OF DSILYIDJE QACAL. 445 

as be wishes. Some parts of the figures, ou tlie other hand, are meas- 
ured by palms and spans, aud uot a line of the sacred design can be 
varied. Straight and parallel Hues are drawn by aid of a tightened cord. 
The mode of api)lying the colored ])owder is peculiar. The artist has 
his bark trays laid on the sand where they are conveuieut of access. He 
takes a small quantity of the powder in his closed palm and allows it to 
pass out between his thumb and forefinger, while the former is moved 
across the latter. When he makes a mistake he does uot brush away 
the pigment. He obliterates it by pouring sand ou it, and then draws 
the corrected desigu ou the new surface. The forms of the gods do not 
ajjpear as I have-represented them in the first coat of color. The naked 
figures of these mythical beings are first completely and accurately 
drawn aud then the clothing is ]iut on. Even iu the pictures of the 
"Loug-bodies" (Plate XVII), which are drawn feet iu length, the 
naked body is first made in its appropriate <'olor — white for the east, 
blue for the south, yellow for the west, and l)lack for the north — and 
then the four red shirts are painted on from thigh to axilla, as shown in 
the i)icture. 

Lj7. The drawings are, as a rule, begun as much towards the center 
as the uature of the figure will i)ermit, due regard being paid to the 
order of precedence of the points of the compass, the figure iu the 
east being begun first, that iu the south next, that in the west third in 
order, aud that in the north fourth. The periphery is finished last of 
all. The reason for thus working from within outwards is that the men 
employed ou the picture disturb the smooth suiface of the sand with 
their feet. If they proceed in the order described they can smooth the 
sand as they advance and ueed not cross the finished portions of the 
picture. 

L>S. I have learned of seventeen great healing dances of the Xava.jo 
iu w liich pictures of this character are drawn. Tht-re are said to be. 
with few exceptions — only one exception that 1 am posiii\ely aware of— 
four pictures appro[»riate to each dance. Some of the dances are i>rac- 
ticed somewh.it differently by different schools or orders among the 
medicine men, aud in tliese divers torms the pictures, although agreeiug 
in general design, vary sonu^what iu detail. Thus there are, on an aver- 
age, probably nu)rc than four designs, belonging to each of the seventeen 
ceremonies, whose names I have obtained. If there were but four to 
each, this would give us sixty-eight such paintings knowu to the medi- 
cine men of the tribe, aud thus we may form some couception of the 
great number of these sacred pictures which they possess. But I have 
reason to believe, from many things I have heard, that besides these 
seventeen great nine days' ceremonies to which I refer, there are many 
minor ceremonies, with their ap]>ropriate pictures; so that the number 
is probably greater than that which I give. 

l.'iO. These jiictures, the medicine men aver, are transmitted liiuu 
teacher to ])n]iil in each order and for each cerenumy unaltered frDUi 



446 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

year to year ami liom generatiou to gcLeratioii. That such is strictly 
the case I caiiuot believe. There are uo staudard pictures on hand 
anywhere. No permaueut design for reference is ever iu existence, 
and there is, so far as I can learn, no final authority in the tribe to settle 
any disiiutes that may arise. Few of these great ceremonies can be 
j)erfornied iu the suuinier months. Most of the figures are therefore 
carried over fi'oni winter to winter in the memories of fallible men. But 
this uuich I do credit, that any innovations which may creep into their 
work are unintentional and that if changes occur they are wrought 
very slowly. The shamans and their faithful followers believe, or pro- 
fess to believe, that the direst vengeance of the gods would visit them 
if these rites were varied in the least in picture, prayer, song, or cere- 
monial. Ihe mere fact that there are different schools among the 
medicine men may be regarded as an evidence that changes have oc- 
cuired. 

IGO. First Picture. The picture of the first day (Plate XV) is 
said to rei)resent the visit of Dsilyi' Neyani to the home of the snakes 
at Qoij'cstso, (Paragraph 53.) 

161. In the center of the picture was a circular concavity, about six 
inches iu diameter, intended to represent water, presumably the house 
of water mentioned in the myth. In all the other pictures where water 
was represented a small bowl was ;ictually sunk in the ground and 
filled with water, which water was afterwards sprinkled with jiowdered 
charcoal to give the impression of a fiat, dry surface. Why the bowl 
of water was omitted in this picture I do not know, but a medicine 
man of a different fraternity from that of the one who drew the pict- 
uie informed me that with men of his school the bowl filled with water 
was used in the snake i)icture as well as in the others. Closely sur- 
rounding this central de|iression are four parallelogranis about four 
inches by ten inches in the original pictures. The half nearer the center 
is red; the outer half is blue; they are bordered with narrow lines of 
white. The same figures are repeated in other paintings. They ai)pear 
in tliis diawing, and frequently in others, as something on which the 
gods seem to stand. They are the ca'bitldl, or rafts of sunbeam, the 
favorite vessels on wliich the divine ones navigate the uppej' deep. In 
tlie Xavajo myths, when a god has a paiticularly long and speedy 
journey to make, he takes two sunbeams and, placing them side by side, 
is borne off in a twinkling whither he wills. Ked is the color proper 
to sunlight in their -symbolism, but the red and blue together represent 
sunbeams in the morning and evening skies when they show an alter- 
nation of blue and red. It will be seen later that the sunbeam shafts, 
the halo, and the rainbow are represented by the same colors. In form, 
however, the halo is circular, and the rainbow is distinguished by its 
curvature, and it is usually anthropomorphic, while the sunbeam and 
the halo are not. External to these sunbeam rafts, and represented as 
standing on them, are the figures of eight serpents, two white ones ia 



* « 



I 




//// 







I : //// 

1 






FIRST DR^- 



t. 



FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT PL X\- 





^' 



«• 





1 



y 



* \ 



UN TING 



i 



MATTHKw-sl FIRST GREAT PICTURE OR DRY PAINTING. 447 

the ea.st, two blue oiie.s in tlie soiitli, two yellow ones in the west, ami 
two black ones in the north. These snakes cross one another (in pairs) 
so as to torni four fluures like the letter X- In drawing these X's the 
snake which ajipears to be beneath is made tirst complete in every re- 
s]>ect, and then the other snake is drawn over it in conformity with 
their realistic laws of art before referred to. The neck, in all cases, is 
bine, crossed -with four bands of red. The necks of the gods in all the 
jiictures, it will be observed, are nnide thus, but the bars in the man- 
like figures run transversely, while those in the smikelike run diago- 
nally. Three rows of V'Sii'iped figures, four in each row, are seen on 
the backs of the snakes; these are simply to represent motllings. Out- 
side of these eight snakes are four more of auich greater length; they 
form a frame oi- boundary to the picture, except in the west, where 
the mountain of Dsilya-icin lies beyond them. There is a white snake in 
the east, lying fioni north to south and bounding the jiicture in the east; 
a blue snake, of similar size and shape, in the south ; a yellow one in the 
west, and a black one in the north. They seem as if following one 
another around tiie picture in the direction of the sun's apparent course, 
the head of the east snake approximating the tail of the soutli snake, 
and so on. 

102. In the northeast is seen the yay, Niltci, who accompanied the Nav- 
ajo i)rophet to the home of the snakes. In the extreme west is a black 
circular tigure re[)resenting the mountain of Dsilyai(;in. In the origi- 
nal picture the mountain was in relief — which I have not attemjited to 
rei)reseut — a little mound of about ten or twelve inches high. The de- 
scription of the mountain given in the myth is duly symbolized in the 
picture, the halo added. ' The green spot in the center is designed to 
represent a twig of spruce which was stuck in the mound of sand to 
indicate the spruce tree door. From the summit of the mountain to tlie 
middle of the central waters is drawn a wide line in corn meal, wiih 
four footprints, depicted at intervals, in the same material. This rep- 
resents the track of a bear. Immediately south of this track is the 
figure of an animal drawn in gray pigment. This is the grizzly him- 
self, which hcn', I have reason to believe, is used as a symbol of the 
Kavajo prophet. The bear, in the sacred language of the shamans, is 
appropriately called Dsilyi' Neyaiii, since he is truly reared within the 
mountains. His track, being represented by a streak of meal, has refer 
ence to the same thing as the name akaniuili and the practice of the 
couriers (i)aragraph Id-), who are dressed to represent the ]iriii)het, 
throwing corn meal in front of them when they travel. 

163. The Second Picture is said to be a rei)resentation of the paint- 
ing which the prophet saw in the home of the bears in theCairizo Mount 
ains (paragra[ih 40). In the center of this figure is the bowl of water 
covered with black powder, to which I referred before. The edge of 
the bowl is adorned with sunbeams, and external to it are the four 
ca'bitlol, or sunbeam rafts, on which seem to stand four gods, or yays. 



448 THK MOrXTAIN CHANT. 

1(j4. The diviue forms are shajied alike but colored differently. They 
lie with heads exteuded outwaid, one to each of the four cardinal points 
of the compass, the faces looking forward, the arms half extended on 
either .side, with the hands raised to a level with the shoulders. They 
wear around their loins skirts of red sunlight, adorned with sunbeams. 
They have ear pendants, bracelets, and armlets, blue and red (of tur- 
ouoise and coral), the i)rehistoric and emblematic jewels of the IS^avajo. 
Their forearms and legs are black, showing in each a zigzag mark to 
represent lightning ou the surface of the black rain clouds. In the 
north god these colors are, for artistic reasons, reversed. Eacli bears, 
attached to his right hand with a string, a rattle, a chaiiti, and a basket. 
The rattle is of the shajie of those used by the medicine men in this i»ar- 
ticular dance, made of raw hide and painted to symbolize the rain cloud 
and lightning. The left hand is empty ; but beside each one is a highly 
conventionalized pictuie of a i)lant. The left hand remains emjjty, as it 
were, to grasp this plant, to indicate that the plant at the left hand be- 
longs to the god whose corresponding hand is unoccupied and extended 
towards it. The proprietorshiji of each god in his own particnhir plant 
is further Indicated by making the plant the same color as the god. The 
body of the eastern god is white; .so is the .stalk of corn at his lefr, in 
the southeast. The body of the southern god is blue; so is the bean- 
stalk beside him, in the southwest. The body of the western god is 
yellow ; so is his pumpkin vine, in the northwest. The body of the 
noith god is black; so is the tobacco plant, which is under his special 
protection, in the northeast. 

1G5. Each of the four sacred plants is represented as growing from 
tive white roots in the central waters and spreading outwards to the 
jieriphery of the picture. The gods form one cross whose limbs are di- 
rected to the four cardinal points ; the plants form another cross having 
a common center wi:h the first named cross, but whose limbs extend to 
the intermediate points of the compass. 

Kit;. On the head of each yay is an eagle plnme lying horiznntally and 
pointing to the right. A similar arrangement of four plumes, all point- 
ing in one direction (contrary to the sun's apparent course), may be ob- 
served on the baskets carried by the gods. 

107. The gods are represented with beautiful embroidered pouches, 
each of a different pattern. In old days the most beautiful things in 
art the Xavajo knew of were the porcupine quill embroideries of the 
northern races. The art of garnishing with quills, and later with beads, 
seems never to have been i)racticed to any extent by the Navajo women. 
They obtained embroideries of the Ute and other northern tribes, and 
their ancient legends abound in allusions to the great esteem in which 
they held them. (See, for instance, paragraphs 32, 34.) Hence, to lep- 
reseut the grandeur and ])otency of their gods, tliey adorn theiu with 
these beautiful and nuicli coveti'd articles. 



« I 



X 
E- 

o 




SECOND DR 



•■t. 




'AINTING 



MATTHEW-,] SECOND GREAT PICTURE. 449 

16S. Surroiiudiiig tlie picture on about tbreei'ourtbs of its ciri'uui. 
fereuce is tbo aiitbropomorpbic rainbow or rainbow deity. It consists 
of two long stripes, eacb about twoiucbes wide in tbe original ])icture, 
one of blue, one of red, bordered and separated by narrow lines of 
wbite. At tbe soutbeastern end of tbe bow is a representation of tbe 
body below tbe waist, sucb as tbe otber gods bavc, consisting of i)oucb, 
skirt, legs, and feet. At tbe nortbeasteru end we bave bead, neck, and 
arms. Tbe bead of tbe rainbow is rectangular, wbile tbe beads of tbe 
otber forms in tbis i)icture are round. In tbe pictures of tbe Yaybicby 
dance we fre(]uently observe tbe same difference in tbe beads. Some 
are rectangular, some are round; tbe former are females, tbe latter 
males; and wbeuever any of tbese gods are rei)resented, by cbaracters, 
in a dance, tbose wbo enact tbe females wear square stiff masks, like 
cirr dominoes, wbile tbose wbo enact tbe males wear roundisli, baglike 
masks, of soft skin, tbat completely envelop tbe head. Tbe rainbow 
god in all tbese pictures wears tbe rectangular mask. Iris, tberefore, is 
witb tbe Navajo as well as with the Greeks a goddess. 

1C9. All tbe other gods bear something in their hands, wliile tbe 
bands of tbe rainbow are empty. Tliis is not without intention. Wiien 
tbe person for whose benefit tbe rites are perfoi-med is brought iu to 
be prayed and sung over, tbe sacred potion is brewed iu a bowl, which 
is placed on the outstretched hands of the rainbow while the cei'cniony 
is In progress and only taken fiom these bauds when tbe draught is to 
be administered. Tberefore the bands are disengaged, that tbey may 
hold the gourd and its contents when the time comes (paragraph lOG). 

170. In tbe east, where tbe ]iicture is not inclosed by the rainbow, 
we see the forms of two birds standing with wings outstretched, facing 
one another, their beaks close together. These represent certain birds 
of blue plumage called by tbe Xavajo cbli (SialiK arctica]. This blue- 
l)ird is of tbe cok)r of the south and of tbe upper regions. He is tbe 
herald of tbe morning. Ilis call of "cbli, c'oli" is tbe first that is heard 
when the gray dawn aiipioacbes. Tberefore is be sacred, and bis 
feathers form a component part of nearly all tbe plume sticks used in 
the worship of tbis people. Two bluebirds, it is said, stand guard at 
the door of the bouse wherein these gods dwell : hence they are repre- 
sented iu the east of the picture. 

171. Here is an appropriate occasion to speak of a pai't of Navajo 
syinbolisn in color to which reference has already several times been 
made. In tbe majority of cases tbe east is represented by wbite, tbe 
south by blue, the west by yellow, the north by black; the upper world 
by blue and the lower by a mixture of white and black in spots. Tbe 
colors of tbe south and west seem to be permanent: tbe south is always 
blue and tbe west is always yellow, as far as I can learn; but the colors 
of the east and north are interchangeable. Tbe cases are rare where 
white is assigned to tlie north and black to the east; but such cases 

5 ETH 2!i 



450 THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

occur, and perhaps iu each instance merit special study. Again, black 
represents the male and blue the female. 

172. The Third Picture commemorates the visit of Dsilyi' NeyAui 
to (f;a(;6' behogan, or "Lodge of Dew" (paragraph 56). To indicate 
the great height of the Bitses-uin^z the figures are twice the length of 
any iu the other pictures, except the rainbows, and each is clothed in 
four garments, one above the other, for no one garment, they say, can 
be made long enough to cover such giant forms. Their heads all point 
to the east, instead of pointing in diflei'ent directions, as in the other 
pictures. The Navajo relate, as already told (paragraph 50), that this 
is in ol)edieuce to a divine mandate; but probably there is a more 
practical reason, whicli is this : if they had the cruciform arrangement 
there would not be room on the floor of the lodge for the figures and 
at the same time for the shaman, assistants, and spectators. Economy 
of space is essential; but, although drawn nearly parallel to one 
another, the proper order of the cardinal points is not lost sight of. The 
form immediately north of the center of the picture is done first, iu 
white, and represents the east. That immediately next to it on the 
south comes second in order, is painted iu blue, and represents the 
south. The one next below that is in yellow, and depicts the goddess 
who stood iu the west of the House of Dew-Drops. The figure in the 
extreme north is drawn last of all, in blact, and belongs to the north. 
As I have stated before, these bodies are first made naked and after- 
wards clothed. The exposed chests, arms, and thighs display the colors 
of ■which the entire bodies were originally comjiosed. The gloi (weasel, 
ri(torins) is sacred to these goddesses. Two of these creatures are 
shown in the east, guarding the entrance to the lodge. The ai)i)end. 
ages at the sides of the heads of the goddesses represent the gloi-bitca, 
or headdresses of gloi skins of difl'ei-ent colors which these mythic per- 
sonages are said to wear. Each one bears attached to her right hand 
a rattle and a charm, or plume stick, such as the gods in the second 
picture carry ; but, instead of the basket shown before, we see a con- 
ventionalized representation of a branch of choke cherry in blossom ; 
this consists of five diverging stems in blue, five roots, and five eiuci- 
form blossoms in white. The choke cherry is a sacred tree, a mountain 
plant ; its wood is used in making certain sacrificial plume sticks and 
certain implements of the dance ; it is often mentioned in the songs of 
this particular rite. Some other adjuncts of this picture — the red robes 
embroidered with sunbeams, the arms and legs clothed with clouds and 
lightning, the peiulants from the arms, the blue and red armlets, 
bracelets, and garters — ha\e already been described when speaking of 
the second picture. The object in the left hand is a wand of spruce. 

173. The rainbow which incloses the picture on three sides is not the 
anthropomorphic rainbow. It has no head, neck, arms, or lower ex- 
tremities. Five white eagle plumes adorn its southeastern extremity. 
Five tail plumes of some blue biid decorate the bend in the southwest. 



/ 



/ 




v^ 



s 



' f 



\\\ 



(§! 



>* ; 



© 



^X 







THTHD DR' 



rlFTH ANNu/VL RtiPfiHT pr Tp.l 




i] I :::5Klfe 3 



s> ■ 











VI N 'I' J NO 



iiATTUEws] THIRD AND FOURTPI GREAT PICTURES. 451 

Tbe plumes of the red sbafted liieker {Colaptvs attratus var. mexicaims) 
are near tbe bend in tbe uortbwest and tbe tail of tbe magpie termi- 
nates tbe nortbeasteru extremity. Tlirougbont tbe mytli, it will be 
remembered, not only is tbe House of Dew-Drops spoken of as adorned 
witb baugings and festoons of rainbows, but many of the boly dwell- 
iugs are tliiis embellisbed. 

Hi. TLie Fourth Picture represents tbe ki'itso-yis^au, or great 
plumed arrows. Tbese ariows are tbe especial great mystery, tbe 
potent bealing cbarm of tbis dauee. Tbe picture is supposed to be a 
fac simile of a representation of tbese weapons, sbowu to tbe propbet 
wbenbe visited tbe abode of tbeTsilke-^igini, or young men gods, wbere 
be first saw tbe arrows (paragrapb 47). Tbere are eigbt arrows. Four 
are iu tbe center, lying parallel to one anotber — two pointing east and 
two others, alternate, pointing west. The picture is bordered by tbe 
other four, which have tbe same relative i>ositions and directions as the 
bounding serpents in tlie first picture. Tbe shafts are all of tbe same 
white tint, no attention being jDaid to tbe colors of tbe cardinal points; 
yet in drawing and erasing tbe picture the cardinal points are duly hon- 
ored. Among tbe central arrows, tbe second from the top, or north 
margin of the design, is that of tbe east; it is drawn and erased first. 
Tbe next below it is the arrow of the south ; the third is that of tbe 
west. The one on top belongs to tbe north ; it is drawn and erased last. 
Tbe beads are painted red to represent tbe red stone points used ; the 
fringed margins show the, irregularities of their edges. Tbe plumes at 
the butt are indicated, as are also tbe strings by which tbe plumes are 
tied on and tbe notches to I'cceive the bowstring. 

175. Tbe ground of this picture is crossed with nebulous black streaks. 
Tbese were originally i)resent in all tbe pictures. I have omitted them 
in all but tbis, lest they might obscure the details of the reduced copies- 
It has been explained to me (altbougb iu tbe myth it is expressly stated 
only in one case, paragraph 40) that all tbese pictures were drawn by 
tbe gods upon the clouds and thus were shown to the ISTavaJo propbet. 
Men cannot paint on the clouds, but according to tbe divine mandate 
they do the best they can on sand, and then sprinkle tbe sand with 
charcoal, in the manner indicated, to represent tbe cloudy scrolls where- 
on tbe primal designs of tbe celestial artists were painted. 

SACRIFICES OF DSILYIDJE QACAL. 

176. Tbe sacritiees made to tbe gods during these ceremonies consist 
of nothing more than a few sticks and feathers, with the occasional 
addition of strings and beads — a form of sacrificial offering common 
among various tribes of tbe Southwest, including tbe sedentary Indians 
of the pueblos. During tlie six days' work in tbe medicine lodge and 
tbe corral, I saw but one lot of these sticks prepared (paragraphs SG,S7); 
but I think tbis lot represented two sets, i. e., sacrifices to two different 



452 



THE MOUNTAIX CHANT. 




inytliical boiiiys. It i.s, liowever, indicated in tlie uiytli that acousider- 
able number of these sacrifices, called by the j^avajo ke^'aii (Englisbed, 
ketbawii), bdoug to the mountain cbaut and may proiierly be offered 
during- il8 cele.bratiou. I have seen among the Kavajo a few varieties 
of these devotional offerings and 1 have obtained descriptions of many. 
Although I cannot rely on the minute accuracy of these descriptious, I 
will present them for such value as they may possess in illustrating 
the general character of this system of worship, a system which might 
l)rot5tably occui)y for years the best labors of au earnest student to 
elucidate. 

177. Fig. 58 represents a kethawn belonging, not to the mountain 
chant, but to the kledji-(ia(^'al, or chant of the night. It is sacred to the 
Youth ami the Maideu of the Kock Crystal, 
divine beings who dwell in Tsisiiatcini, a .^>,,„ ' 

great mountain north of the Pueblo of Jemez. '""^g^k' . -0 

The original is iu the National Museum at .x^f^sv-^ 
Washington. It consists of two sticks coated 
with white earth and joined by a cotton 
string a yard long, whic'h is tied to each stick 

by a clove hitch. A 

black bead is on the cen- 
ter of the string: a tur- 
\,Vs ■ ' key feather and au eagle 

V ;; feather are secured with 

■^"'s , ■' , V, the clove hitch to one of 

^,.?j- " the sticks. 

^■P 17S. Fig. o9 depicts a 

kethawn pertaining also 

to the kledji-qa^al. It 

is called ke(;an-yal(j'i', or 
i'-*Msi![-M-:'. talking kethawn. The 

sticks are willow. The 

one to the left is pduted 

black, to represent a male 

character (Qastcebaka) 

iu the myth and ceremo- 
ny of kledji-qacal. The 

other stick is painted 

blue, to denote a female 

character (Qastcebaiid) 

iu the same rites. The 

Fig. 69. Tlie talking ketbiwn 
(keviu-yalcD. 

facet at the top to indicate 
the square topped female mask (paragraph 168). The naturally round 
end of the black stick sufiScieutly indicates the round male mask. The 
cord wrappi'd around the two sticks is similar to that descrih( d in the 




5s. s ic.ifi.iai sticks blue stick has a diagonal 

(kt-Viiiil. 



BUREAU OF ETHNOLObY 



>^>NlV>J>fc>-^'C^Ni«>^->^^^V'C^^^^vV>»-V<>->.NN.N».'>l>. 



]rw>i>t'»^>''>'^^^*^">*' ^*^'^^^''**" 




i I 



lit 

II n 
III 

I ii 

I ) I 

III 





W>\>.X'>N^VK^^^^^yv^^ ..^ 



■ >mf>n rf/^it»u///ft//f>J^^f ' 



1 





Y>V»'^'>^v«^'>''^'^>V ^v-^-c>.-v^^ 



t 



j l>Avy>w^>v'> ' .^v.'/>/ ' /^/>' VVX/«t»-// 



■\ 







FOURTH D 




■^-O'^ 








^^^^!^^}>s w^^^'s^^.^^}>^^^v^s^|> ^ 




■^tfJ.r.t^.^-' ^^.f^tj 



'^'"'^*''^'^'^''^ ^«--*sVSVsVK'<>SSs'nVS» 




h 




Mil 

fill 
Mill 




1 I 



{-^-^^-^<*'-« V<V< ^y< 



'—■^^-'^^''^^■'■^■'^f 



l! 



* '■«f.V*^«-^V^V.»>^V>,Vk.V < »,»^..V\«.«.>.VW I s' 



^AINTING 



MArnitvv^.J .<ACKIFICES UF DSILVID.IE qX^Xh. 453 

paiayrapb immediately pieced iii<;'. About the middle of the eoid is a 
loiij;' wiiite shell bead, shown iu the cut. The breast feathers of the 
turkey aud the dowuy feathers of the eagle are attached to the sticks. 
This kethawn I saw once iu the possession of a Xavajo qa^ali. I was 
l)ermitted to sketch it, but could not purchase it. The interpretation 
given of its symbolism is that of the qa^ali who owned it. In the myth 
of kledji qacal it is said that the beueticeut god (^astceel(;i used this 
kethawn when he removed from the prophet (Jo the evil spell which 
had been cast on the latter by the wind god. 

179. In Schoolcraft's Archives of Aboriginal Knowledge, I'hiladel- 
phia, ISCO, Vol. Ill, page 3()(>, is a cut illustrating an article undoubt- 
edly of a similar nature to that shown iu Fig. 59. It is a sacrificial 
plume stick of the Moki. The Moki interpreter explained to Mr. School- 
craft that it contained a message from the Indians to the President 
and the particulars of this message are fully set forth in his text. At 
first I doubted if the object could have any other purpose than a sac- 
liticial one and was inclined to discredit the statement of the Moki inter- 
preter. But ou learning that the Xavajo had a similar arrangement of 
sticks and feathers, which was called by the significant name of ke^an. 
yalyi', or talking kethawn, I was more inclined to believe that some of 
these kethawns may answer a double purpose and be used to convey 
messages, or at least serve as nmenionic aids to envoys. 

180. The cac-bikecan (bear kethawn) spoken of in the myth consisted 
of two sticks, each a span long, one painted black (male), the other 
painted blue (fennile). Each had red and blue bauds at the ends and. 
in the middle. There were no feathers or beads. (Paragraph 40.) 

181. The gloi-bikejau, or sacrifices to the weasels, were four in uumb.r, 
two yellow and two white. In preparing the sticks one end was always 
to be held to the north, the other towards the south. At each end a 
narrow circle of red and a narrow circle of blue were painted; the red 
being to the north, i. e., outside of the blue at one end and inside of it 
at the other. The weasel men directed that the sticks shoidd be buried 
ju the ground in the same direction in which they wei-e held when beiug 
made, lying from north to south with the outer red ring at the north. 
(Paragraph 41.) 

ISi'. Four sticks pertained to the klictsobikeyan : one was black, with 
four white deer tracks painted on it ; another was blue, with I'ouryellow 
deer tracks; a third was white, with four black deer tracks; the fourth 
was yellow, with four blue deer tracks. The Great Serpent said to the 
Xa%-ajo prophet : '-There are ceitain moles who, when they dig iu the 
ground, scatter the earth in a long winding heap like the form of a crawl- 
ing snake. In such a heap of earth will you bury these kethawns." 
(Paragraph 42.) 

183. There are two sticks belonging to the kethawn of the lightning 
god (iifni'bikegan). One is black, with a white zigzag stripe from end 



4M THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 

toi'iid; tlieotlie.r blue, with a yellow zigzag stripe from end to eud. 
(Paragraph 4.3.) 

184. The Estsiiii-<(;igiiii, or Holy Women, showed the prophet but one 
kethawu stick. It was painted white and decorated with three pairs 
of circnlar i)aii(ls, red and l)hu', the bine in each case being next to the 
body of the painter while be holds the stick iu decorating it. This 
kethAwn must be buried at the base of a young spruce tree, with the 
first blue circle next to the tree. (Paragraph 45.) 

185. Four sticks were shown by tiie Tcikecacnatlehi. They were 
black, sprinkled with si)ecular iron ore to make them shine; decorated 
with three pairs of bands, red and bine, applied as in the kethawns 
of the Estsan figini ; and I)nried under a young piijon, with the first 
blue band or circle next to the tree. (Paragraph 4C.) 

l.SG. The two kethawns seen by Dsilyi' Neyaui at Big Oaks, the 
Lome of the (|'igin-yosiui, weie both banded at the ends with blue and 
red and had marks to symbolize the givers. One was white, with two 
pairs of stripes, red and blue, running lengthwise. The other was yel- 
low, with many stripes of black and yellow running lengthwise. (Para- 
graph 49.) 

187. At Last Mountain, the home of the skunks, two kethawns, evi- 
dently intended to .symbolize these animals, were shown to the prophet 
and his divine companions. Both the sticks were black: one had three 
white longitudinal stri[)es on one side; the other had three longitud- 
inal rows of white spots, three spots iu each row, on one side. (Para- 
graph CO.) 

188. The two sticks shown by the squirrels, Glo'dsilkai and Glo'dsil- 
jini, were painted blue, sprinkled with specular iron ore, and surrounded 
at the ends with red and blue bands. One was to be planted at the base 
of a pine tree and one at the base of a spruce tree. 

ISO. At Dsilya-iijin the porcupines exhibited two kethawns. They 
were very short, being ecpial in length to the middle joint of the little 
finger. One was black and one was blue. Each had red and blue ter- 
minal bands and each had a number of white dots on one side to rep- 
resent porcuinue quills. "Bury them," said (|'asani, "under a pifion 
tree." (Paragraph 51.'.) 

190. At Qofestso four kethiiwns, rather elaborately decorated, were 
shown. Two were half white and half black, the black part having 
white spots and the white ]>art having black .spots on it. The other 
two were half bine and half yellow, the yellow being spotted with 
blue and the blue with yellow. There were red and blue rings at the 
ends. (Paragraph o.'J.j 

191. Tiie Tg.ike-^'ig'ini showed their visitors two kethawns, one blai^k 
and one blue. Each was a si)an long and was surrounded with three 
pairs of bauds, blue and red, put on in the manner observed iu making 
the kethawns of the Estsanfigini. (Paragra|)h 184.) To the center of 
the black kethawn five blue feathers were tied. To the center of the 



MATTHEWS.] 



SONGS OF DSILYIDJE QA^AL. 



455 



liliio l<etlia\vii five yellow feiitliens were fa-steiied. Five blaek beads were 
interred with the bhiek stick — one tie<l to tlie center, one stnck in the 
end, and three hiid loo.se in the ^ronnd. Fi\'e blue tnrquoise beads 
were similarly buried with the blue stiek. Such kethawus must be 
l)uried at the foot of a spruce tree, with the heads towards the mount- 
ains of (|'epentsa. By "head" is meant the end held the farther from 
the body of the painter when the paint is applied, the end having- the 
red band at its extremity. (Paragraph .5-1.) 

ORIGINAL TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS OF SONGS, &C. 

lOl'. The songs of the dsilyidje qaeal are very numerous and their 
recitation is governed by many rules, a few of which only have been 
discovered by the writer. 

lli.j. A list has been recorded of thirteen sets of songs which may 
properly be sung at night in the medicine lodge, when the oereinonies 
of the day are done, and in the corral on the last night, when there is 
110 special song in progress pertaining to a particular alili ov dance. 
The li.st which follows exhibits the order in which these songs may be 
sung on any ])arti('ular night. For exami)le, if the singers begin with 
a song from set III, they cannot follow immediately with a song from 
sets I or II, but must select fiom some of the following sets, as set IV 
or V. Again, in each set the songs have a certain order of sequence 
which must not be reversed. For convenience these will be called 

SONGS OF SEQUENCE. 



o 


Iiiiliiu iKimc r.f sot. 


Kii;ilisli iiaiiie (if t^ef. 




I. 


Atsiilfi Bio^iii 


Soil ""9 of tlie First Dancers - 


IG 


II. 
III. 




S(in<''s of tlic Grpat -^tick 'or IMiiiiicil Waiid 


\i 
!■> 
U 
l(i 

8 
8 
8 
7 

H 

It; 


C ei)t'' Bi"'!!! 


Soii"s of t lio Mmiii tai 11 SIicl'h 


IV. 


I'tl'iii* Biciu 


Son"'H ofth(^Li"^ltfniii<'' 


V. 

VT. 

VII. 

VIII 


Tsilkeil-igiiii Bigiu 

Tcike-cac-uiitlelii Bi»^iu . 

Dsil.yi* Neynui Bigiu 

Tsiihagiu 

Xuliikjii-o'iii 


Songs of the Holy Voiin^i;- Men 

Songs of Yiinng Women Who Become Bears 

Sougs of Keareil Within the Mountains 

Awl son^^s 


I\ 


Whitenip^'' song's .... 


\ 


(i'asiiDi Bi'^iu 


Son»''s of t he Porcupines 


\I 


Xauis^ Bi<^iu 


Son-'s of the Phmts .. 


XII. 
XIII. 


TsiiK'/ilfiu Bi^in 


Songs of the Explinliug Stick 




Total 






IGl 









LtfC 



456 THK MOINTAJN CHANT. 

1!)4. Ijesides those referred to in the above list, there are more whicii 
are ajipropriate to ditfereiit acts in the ceremony, such as the songs sunp: 
at tlie ohliteration of the pictnres, at the building of tlie corral, at the 
departure of the akaiiiiiili, &c. 

19.5. In some cases a, number of songs in the same set are nearly alike ; 
the addition or substitution of one verse, or even of one word, may be 
tlie only ditference. Such songs usually follow one another in imme- 
diate succession; often, on the otlier hand, we find a great variety in 
snbjec't and in style. 

llMi. Some songs are self-explanatory or readily understood, but the 
greater number cannot be comprehended without a fidl knowledge of the 
mythology and of the synd)olism to which they refer; they merely hint 
at mythic conceptions. Many contain archaic expressions, for which tlie 
shaman can assign a meaning, but whose etymology cannot now be 
learned; and some embody obsolete words whose meaning is lost even 
to the priesthood. There are many vocables known to be meaningless 
and recited merely to fill out the rhythm or to give a dignified length to 
the song. For the same reasons a meaningless syllable is often added 
or a significant syllable duplicated. 

197. Other poetical licenses are taken, such as the omission of a syl- 
lable, the change of accent, the substitution of one vowel for another. 
The most familiar words are often distorted beyond recognition. For 
these various reasons the task of noting and translating these songs is 
one of considerable ditiiculty. 

198. FIRST SONG OF THE FIIiST DANCERS. 

Qaiiife q.io yae, qauie qao yae 
Qauio ie oay& oayi^. 



1. Qadjinaia <iaii ya&, 

2. Ka(,- (Isil i('illiyili <iao yae, 

3. '^altso'i tsetj qao yae, 

4. Cija cigfelgo qao ya&. 

Nabi iui ebi oay&, iiiibi iiii ebi oiibfe. 

5. Niqoyastcadje qao yafe, 
0. Kay dsil yoliji ([ab yafe, 

7. Kini bitsee qao yafe, 

8. Cija cigfelgo qao yafe. 

Nabi iui, etc. 



9. Qadjiiuiui qao ya!^, 

10. Ka(j dsil litso'i qao yafe, 

11. Bitselitsbi qao yae, 

12. Cija cigfelgo qab yafe. 

N^bi iui, etc. 

13. NiqoyastcMje qao yafe, 

14. Ka(j dsil lakaie (pib yafe, 

15. A'a'i tsee qao yafe, 
l(i. Cija cigelgo qao ya6. 

NSbi ini, etc. 



109. Traiishiiion.~l,0. Qadjiiiai, "Place-wbere-tbey-came-iip," a locality in tbe 
San .Tiiau Mountains wiiiTe, according to tbeir niytbology, tbe Navajo emerged 
from tbe lower world to tliis. 5, 13. Niijoyastcadje, anotber name for Qadjinai. 2, 0, 
lU, 14. Kaf, now; dsil, mountain; ^-ilbyili, black; Qoliji, blue; litsbi, yellow; lal<aie, 
white. Tbese verses refer to four mountains surrounding Qadjinai, wbicb aro desig- 
nated by colors only to indicate tbeir topograpbical positions. 3, 7, 11, 15. 'Caltsoi= 
afa litsbi, "yellow wing,'" a large bird of prey; kini, beu havvk ; bitselitsbi, "yellow 
tail,'' a bird of uudetemiined species; a'a'i, magpie; tse, a tail ; bitse, its tail. 4, 8, 
12, IC). Cija, my treasure; eigf^l, my desideratum, my ultimatum, tbe only tbing I 



WATIHKW!?.] 



SONGS OF SEyCENCK. 



457 



will accept. Wheu supposed to lie said by a god, as iu this soug, it meaus the par- 
ticular sacrifice whicli is appropriate to him. Iu this case proljably the feathers 
spoken of are "cigM" aud the mountains "cija." The refrain "q.ao yai'" is .1 poetic 
modification of q.ia', it looms up, or sticks up, said of some lofty object visible in 
the distance, whose base cannot be seen. 



200. Free tniiislalion. 

Place-whence-they-came-up looms up, Place-wheuce-thoy-cauie-up looms up, 

Now the black mountain looms up, Now the yellow mountain looms up, 

Tlu^ tail of the " yellow wing" looms up, | The tail that is yellow looms np, 



ily treasure, my saciiflce, loom up. 

Laud-where-lhey-moved-out locuus uji, 
Now the blue mouutaiu looms uj), 
The tail of the hen-hawk looms up, 
ily treasure, my sacritice, loom up. 



Jly treasure, my sacrifice, loom up. 

Land-wbere-they-moved out looms up, 
Now the white luouutaiu looms up. 
The tail of the magpie looms up, 
My treasure, my sacrifice, loom up. 



•.iOl. KIKST sclNi: (IF Till-: .McirXIAlN' SIIKEI". 



1. Yiki (,-asiz'ini, 

2. Kav Tsilke-^'igiui, 
;!. Kaf katso-yisvaui, 
4. Tsi('a baSilili, 

!i. Bija-yei'igingo. 



(i. Kav Tcike s'igiLii, 

7. Kat.soyt? yisyani, 

H. Viki ('■abiziui, 

'.). 'IWii baalili, 

10. liiia-ve',' iuinsio. 



2U'2. TrH)ishilion. — 1, 8. I'lki, iipon4t; i|'asizin, he stands on high. 2, 6. Kav, now-, 
tsiike, young man; tcike, youug woman; ifigiui, holy. 3. K:itso-yi,sv;Ui, the great 
plumed arrow; ka'tsoye yisvan, with the great plumed arrow. 4, '.I. Tsi'.^a, truly, 
verily ; baiilili, an alili, a show, a rite, or impleuieut used iu a dauco for him. 5, 
1(1. Bija, his treasure, his special property, his peculiar belonging; ye, with, a prefix 
forming nouns which denote the means; i/igingo, j)ositively holy or supernatural. 
Bija-yeviigingo might be translated " charm " or " talisman." 

20;l. Free li dusUilion. 



He stands high u)iou it ; 

Now the Holy Young Man [ You lig Woman. 

iu second stanza], 
With the great plumed arrow, 



Verily his own sacred implement, 
His treasure, by virtue of which he is truly 
holy. 



'2()i. A Inference Id the inytli and tlie tk'sciiptioii of tlie fereniouies 
will probably be .sut'fiek'iit to give the reader an mider.staiuliug of this 
song. This set of songs, it is said, was first sung by the black sheep 
whieii stood on the rock as a sign to the Xaviijo fugitive ; hence the 
name. (See paragraphs 35, 47, 4S, .j4.) 

20.">. SIXTH SON'G I IF TllK MoCNTAiy MlKKP. 



Biuavoiilae [four times] oiiyelie oc'lhi'. 



1. Kav Tsilke-vigini, 

2. C'a"bitloli yei', 

3. Tsif^ bialili, 

4. Bij.a yei^igiugo. 

5. Biuavoiilae oiiyehe oiihe. 



i'<. Kav Tcike-((;igini, 

7. Natsilivi yeii, 

^. Tsiif'a bialili, 

9. Bija yeifiglngo, 

10. Biuavoiilae oiiyi>he oohe. 



458 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 



SOli. Translation.— 1, •!. Kay, now ; tsilkJ-, young iiuui ; tcike, youug woiiuiii ; <:ignii, 
holy one, god or goddess. •.>. C'a'l)itlol, sunbeam, Bunbeaius; ye. with. 3, 8. Tsi'fa, 
verily; bialili (p.iragrapli li), liis danco or sacred implement. 4, 9. Bija, his special 
property, liis treasure; ye<'igingo, that by means of which ho is Oigin, i.e., holy or 
Buperuatural. 5,10. Binai'ola, it is encircled. 7. Xatsiliv, the raiubovi-. 

•207. Fr^r ininslation. 



Now the Holy Young Man, 
With the sunbeam. 
Verily his own .sacred implement, 
His treasure which makes him holy, 
Is encircled. 



Now the Holy Young Womau, 
With the rainbow, 
Verily her own sacred impk'ment. 
Her tre.a.inre which makes her holy, 
Is encircled. 



208. Which is to say that the great plumed arrows which they bear 
are adorned with siiubeaiiis and rainbows. They " shiue in glory." (See 
references in paragraph 204.) 

20;). TWKLI'TII .SONG OF THE MDUXT.ilX SHKEP. 



1. Nayunaui tcenia, 

2. Kaf bifi'iltsos tcenia, 
:!. Biqolfego, tcenia. 



4. Na.yunani tcenia, 

5. Kaf bifenackbji tcenia, 
t). Biqolfego, tceuia. 



210. Translation. — 1, 4. Nayuoiiui, agaiu on the other side, i.e., across two valleys. 
2. Biyi', his horus; iltsos, sleuder; bi^feiltsos, slender horns, i.e., the deer, by nietou- 
omy. 3, (i. Biqolf&go, it is beomiug to him. 0. Bi^e, his horns; iiackoj, turgid, 
filledout,stulfed; biQenack;i.ii, turgid horns — metonymically, the mountain sheep, Oris 
vinntana. The refr.ain, tcfenia, ho appears, he comes in sight. 

211. Free translation. 



Far beyond he appears ; 

Now ''Slender Horn" appears. 

His antlers are becoming. He appears. 



Far beyond he appears ; 

Now " Turgid Horn " appears. 

His horns are becoming. He appears. 



212. This song, it is said, refers to the time when the prophet saw 
the vision of the black sheep on the rock. ( Paragraph 35.) The reason 
for introducing the deer into the soug is not obvious. 

213. FIR.ST SONG OF TllR TIIfXDF.li. 



1. Cona! Coua! ATiiyehe oiihc [repeat], 

2. Yiiyakoii ani' ; 

3. I"<j;iii'djii' ani' ; 

4. Kos<|' Ihyil Ijiyi'dje. 

5. Nabiza? qolego, 

6. (^'oua! ^Ona! A'aiyelic ocilii-. 



7. Cona I Coua I A'aiyehe odhe [repeat], 
s. Yiiyakoii aui' : 
'.). Auilyani ani' ; 

10. Nanisi: biyijako, 

11. Nabizaf qolego, 

12. (,'oua ! Cona! A'aiyehe oillie. 



214. Tran.ilalion. — 1, 0, 7, 12. ^'ona, an imitation of the thunder, not a word. 
2, 8. Yiivako, above ; yiiyako, below ; aui', any snund, the souud of the voice. 3. I'lf- 
ui'dji, pertaiuingto the thunder. 4. Kos,clouil: ifilliyil, black, dark ; biyi'dje, within, 
or toward within it. .o, 11. Nilbiza? qoli^go, agai:i and agaiu sounds his moving voice. 
9. Anilci'ilni, a general name for largo meadow gras.shoppers. — 10. Nauise, plants in 
general; bifqilko, iu among tbem. 



MATTHEWS. 



SONGS OF SEQUENCE. 



459 



'21.">. Free Iraiislutioii. 



Thoiiuh! Thouah; 
There is a Vdiee above. 
The voice of tlie thunder. 
Within the dark eloiiil, 
Again and again it sounds. 
Tboniihl Tlionah! 



Thonah! Thonah : 

There is a voice below, 

The voice of the grasshopper. 

Among the plants. 

Again and again it sounds, 

Thonah : Thonah! 



•Jld. TWrLFTII SONG OF THi; IIICXDER. 



1. Ytifakoo aui'i ; 

2. r<!ni'djie aui'i ; 

3. Kos^jilhyil bi,vi'dje 

4. Nabizaf qolego. 



Aiena. 

Berjojouigo aui'i [four times] oijlii-. 

6. Yiiyakod aui'i ; 

7. Aniliaui aui'i ; 
>i. N;tuise bi^-r];iko, 
II. Nabizne i|iilego, 



5. Beqojonigo aui'i, oiilie. 



10. lieqojuuigo aui'i, ouhe. 



'217. Titiii>ilutioii. — Aiena, a meaningless beginning to many s(nigs, whieh may be 
omitted. 1. Yiiyako, above. '2. I'lJui'ilji, pertaining to the thunder. ;i. Kos, cloud; 
^■iUijil, dark; bi,vi'dje, within it. 4, 9. Nabizac, his voice again, bis voice repeated; 
qolego, sounds along, sounds moving. 5, 10. (Be, a prefi-K forming nouns of the cause 
or instrument ; qojoni, local or terrestrial beauty ; go, a snfhs to qualifying words) ; 
beciojonigo, productive of terre.strial beauty ; aui'. a voice, a sound. 6. Yiiyako, bchnv. 
7. Anilvaui, grasshopper. ;-'. Niinise, plants; bici|ako, iu among them. 



The voice that beaurities th 
The voice above, 
The voice of the thunder 
Within the dark cloud 
Again and again it sounds, 
The voice tb.at beautilies f h 



'21S. Free traiifihiliuii 
? laud! 



laud. 



laud! 



The voice that beautities the 

The voice below : 

The voice of the grasshopper 

Among the plants 

Again and again it sounds. 

The voice that beantilies the laud. 



'219. Fii:sT .soNii (IF THE iini.v vor.\«; mkx, ok vouxo mex god.s. 



1. Otic 'vqa nagaie, 

'2. Ka? Tsilke-^^igini, 

3. Dsil ijilbyil biyagi, 

4. Biy.MJi naile. 



."). Aie 'i;q;i nagaie, 

0. Ka5 Tciki'-ifigiui, 

7. Dsil folij biyagi, 

8. Biyilji naiR-. 



'2'20. TriDisUitiiin. — 1, "i. 'Ccia^liifqa, amid or among them: nagai, that, ihere. 

2. Kaf, now; TsilUe-(j''igiui, Holy Young Mau ; Teike-^*igmi, Holy Young Woman. 

3, 7. Dsil, mountain; tUlhyil, black; v"liji blue; biyagi, at the foot of, at the base 
of. 4. •■'. Biyaji, his child; uaiU-, he lays down, he leaves. 

■J'21. Fr<r. traiixhtlioii. 



There amid [the mouutains], 
Now the Holy Young Man, 
At the foot of the Idack monufaiu. 
Lays down his child. 



There amiil [the mouutains], 
Now the Holy Young Woman, 
At the foot of the blue mountain. 
Lavs down her child. 



222. The cliaiactersof Tsilke-^igiui and Tcike f igiiii are iu the myth. 
The black monutaiu pcrtaiu.s to the male, the blue to the female. Al- 
though not told with tlie ie,-<t of the myth, it was sub.sequently related 
to the writer that T.silke(^igiiii said to the prophet, " Whoever learus 



460 



THE JlOrXTAIN CHANT. 



our sougs will tlieucefortli be our child." The above soug, it is .saiil, 
lias some reference to this promise ; but a fuller explauatiou, no doubt, 
remains to be discovered. 

•2-S.'. SIXTH SO.NO ciF THE Hdl.V VoUNG MEN. 



Ai't'iia. 

Altsacie liigiui oiiUi'. 
1. Altsauii' ^'igini, altsj'lcii- ifi.!j;Mii, altsacie 

<iigitil oijlife. 
■2. Ka? Tsilk^-^'iglui, liakagir Vigiui, 
:!. IJsil I'ilbyili ei\ l)ak;ijj;iij ^''igiiii, 
-1. Tsiutsm c/ilbyili e bakagii' ^'igiui, 
fi. Tsi'fa bialili, bija yc^jigingo, bakiYgiiJ 
figini, oobfe. 



Altsacie <,Ugiui oiilic'. 
(i. Altsacie ^igiui, altsacie eigiui, altsacie 
"I'igiui oobe. 

7. Kap Tcike-^igiui, bakagie ^igini, 

8. Dsil joliji ee, bakagiii (ligini, 

9. TsintsoT ?nliji, bakiigil- iJigini, 

10. TsWa bialili, bija yeifigliigo, bakagii- 
'•igiiii, oiibe. 



'22i. Translalion. — 1, 6. Allsilcie, ou eacb siile ; (|';igiui, a boly one, a god. 2, 7. Kaf , 
now; tsilke, young man; tcike, young woman; bakilgi, ou the Buramit, ou top 
of it. 3, 8. Dsil, inoiintain ; ifilhyil, dark, black; folij, blue. 4, 9. T.siutsoi, great 
stick, a notched stick used as a musical instrument in tUo dance. 5, 10. Tsi(*a bialili, 
truly his dance implement ; bija ye^igingo, his boly treasure, his talisman, his charm, 
his magic wand. 

'2"2u. Free troniihitioii. 



There's a god on each side. 
Now the Holy Young JIan 
Is the god on top of the black mountain, 
With his black notched stick. 
The implement of his dance, bi.-t magic 
wand. 



There's a god ou each side. 
Now the Holy Young Woman 
Is the god on top of the blue mountaui, 
With her blue notched stick, 
The implement of her dance, her magic 
wand. 



2L'G. This song' is said to refer to that i)art of the myth where it is 
related that the prophet, Hying from the Ute, climbed a hill which was 
transformed into a mountain. (Paragraph 38.) Each moantaiu was 
supposed to have a holy one on it, who could, by means of his notched 
stick, produce the metamor|)hosis. The mountains were not necessarily 
colored black ami blue, but are thus described to indicate that they lay 
north ami south of the jtrophet's path. (Paragraph 171.) 



•227. t\vi;lftei soxc uf the inji.v vocxc; men. 

Eaiea i|ala ^la yainahe, oiibe. 

Eaii-a <iala <^la yainooo yaaa yooo [three times], 

Eaiea (jula ela \aina, qMa ela iiainahe odlie. 



1. Dsil ilbyili inloooi) yaaa yooo, 
*2. Tsiutso'i <f ilbyili inlooob yaaa yeie. 
;!. Ci cigelgo yaiii.a, 

Qala (?la qaiuahe oJlhi-. 



4. Dsil (.oliji iuloooo yaa^ yooo, 
.S. Tsintsoi v'oliji iuloooo yaaa yeee, 
t'l. Ci eigi'lgo yaina, 

Qala ela riaiuabe oiihe. 



'2'28. Translalion. — 1,4. Dsil, niouutaiu : vilh.vil, black ; volij, blue. '2,5. Tsintsi), a 
notched stick used in ceremonies to make nm.sie ; inlo (inla'), they lie there (two long 
hard things lie). 3, fl. Cigel, my ultimatum, my desideratum (.said of the peculiar 
sacrifice which belongs to each god), something I (the godl will have and accept 
nothing in place of it, my special sacrifice. 



MATTHEWS.] 



SONGS OF SEQUENCE. 



461 



2'29. I-'iei' hanaldlion. 



There lie the black mouutains 
There lie the black stick.s : 
There lie mv sacrifices. 



There lie the bluo moiiutaius ; 
There lie the blue sticks : 
There lie my sacrifices. 



230. Thi.s i.-s supposed to be u part of the iustructioiKs wliicli the Holy 
youiiji]Meii and Holy Young Woiueii gave to the pro])het. The tsiiitso 
i.s made of cherry, which grows only on high mountains in the Navajo 
country. The sticks are painted black and blue. (See paragraph 
171.) The song alludes to all these facts. 

•2'M. KIGHTIl Sl).\(; OF TliK VOING WDMKX Will) KECOMK BK.\US, 



^^xfigiuiifa oyahe oiihe, 
f ociginiv'a oya ova ooyiya 

Haiyaya lu'iiyaya haiyahc, niilie. 

1. Kaf Tbilke ^'igiuie ^'oifigiixfa haiyalic, 

oiihe, 

2. KitsiutS()ii^ ii; fO((':igiu^a balyahe oiihi-, 

3. Tsit'a bialUie bija-ye(figinits, oyil oya, 

oyaya. 

Haiyaya hfiiyaya haiyabe, oiihi'. 



([,'o<;'igliiii|'a oyahe, oiihe, 
(,'o^:igiiu<!;a oya oya ooyaya, 

Haiyaya haiyaya liaiyaUe, oiihe. 
Kar Tcil;<>-(|:igiiiii: foi'igiiiU'a liaiy;Vhe, 

oiibe, 
Bitsiut.s()i(i ii' fo<f.igiuf'a haiy.ahe ooh6, 
Tsi(I;a. bialilii; bija-yeltiginie, oya oyi, 
oyaya, 

Hfcivava baivava haivabe, oiihfe. 



232. I'ransJation. — 9"<''o"J'^'^i 5t"'isiii<'''i ^"^ '*> ""' •' ti'"! > it '■* ""t holy; it i8 not 
divine. 1, 4. Kaf, now; t.silke, youug man; tcike, young woman; ?igiui, holy, su- 
pernatural. 2, 4. Bitsintsiii, his great notched stick. 3, 6. Tsi<fa, verily ; bialili, his 
implement of the dance or rite; bija-ye^igiui, his treasure which makes holy; hia 



magic wand. 



2:!3. /Vcf liaiiiildlioii. 



The Holy Youug Man i.s not divine ; 
His great notched stick is not holy ; 
His magic wand is not holy. 



The Holy Voung Woman is not diviue; 
Her great notched .stick is not holy; 
Her magic wand is not holy. 



'SM. This is supposed to reler to an altercation lietween these two 
gods, in which they tried to belittle each other. 

235. I have another song of this seiies, in which the idea is conveyed 
that their powers depend on their magic Wiuids or notched sticks. 

23li. ONE <ir THK .\WL 5O.\0S. 

Owe iiwe iiwe yaui \ ai o\\ a" lui :> [repeat three times], 
Owe ()we ini alie oiihi-. 



1. 'Ke-eac-natlehi natcagahi, 

2. Ka5 dsil filhyili bakagi natcagahi, 

3. Kat ui' itizaf inv'i 9obolui<''a ()na, 

4. Kav ni' inzaf invi fonii)V!a i>na. 



5. Tcik6-('igini natcagahi, 

G. Dsil<,!oiiji bakagi natcagahi, 

7. Kaf ni" inzaf iufi, foholniifa ona, 

8. Kaf. ni' inziK; invi, 5onii><-a ona. 



237. Tiaiinhilioii. — 1. Ke, an abbreviation of tciki- ; Tciki;-cac-uatli"hi, maiden who 
becomes a bear ; natcaga', she travels far, she walks or wanders far around. 2. Kaf, 
now; dsil <(;ilhyil, black mountain; bakagi, on top of. 3, 4, 7, 8. Ni', earth, laud; 
iuzaf, distaut; in^i, it lies, it stretches; vi'holniita, seems not to be; <;'oniiiifa, not ob- 
scure or dim like a faint distauce. 6. Dsil Qoliji bakagi, on top of the blue mount- 
ains. 



462 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 
238. Free irunsUilioii. 



Tlie Maid Who Becomes a Bear walks far Tbe Holy Youug Woiiiau walks far around 

aron,,,! On the blue moimtains, she walks far 

On the black nioiiiitains, she walks far arouiul. 

around. ^-"^ spreads the land. It seems uot far 

Far spreads the laud. It seems not far [to her]. 

[to lierj. I Far spreads the laud. It seems uot dim 

Far spreads the laud. It seems uot dim ; [to her]. 

[to her]. 

•23'.l. FIKST SONG OF THE EXPLODING STICK. 

Aieiia. 

Aieya ala aieyii ie ee ieee [three times] ie la". 

1. 'Ke-cac-uatlehi dsilyi' iji<|-ilko" ie na", ' 3. C'abasfiui fo'yi' ^i<filko" ie na", 

2. Dsilyi' ^olkiilko"; dsil beko"nife ie na°, I 4. Co'yi d'olkdlko"; 5o'beko"u)ve ie na", 

li' na" yaha haia it; na" ai. | lij na" yaha haia ie na" a'i. 

240. Tiniisldlioii. — 1,3. 'Ke-cac-natIehi=Tcik&-cac-natlehi, Young Woman Who Be- 
comes a Bear; Qabasvin, the Otter; ^i<J!ilko", he or she set on fire in many plac'es. 2, 
4. Dsil, mountains; dsilyi', in the mountains; ijo', water, waters; fo'yi', in the 
waters; tolkolko", he set on fire as he went along; bcko"nife, its fires in a line, its string 
of tires. 

241. Free Innislat'ion. 



Tbe Otter set tire in tbe waters 

In many places ; as he journeyed on 

There was a line of burning waters. 



Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear set 

lire in tbe mountaius 
In many places ; as she journeyed on 
There was a line of burning mountains. 

24-'. It is related that in the ancieut days, during' a year of great 
drought, the.se holy ones, on their way to a council of the gods, set flie 
to the mountaius and the waters. The smoke arose in great clouds, 
from which rain descended on the parched laud. The song alludes to 
this legend. 

243. LA.'iT SONG OK THE EXI'Lc iDINCi STICK. 



1. Tcik^-cac-nJitlehi; 

biluiya ale. 

2. Dsil aga ^azigii' 0igii]i iia\ ikiilgo ; bi- 

niya iii^. 

3. Tsifta ci cigeliye cigini (piyikalgo; b^- 

niya aie. 

4. Yaue tfoijlanegoo (,-i8itsaaye. 

Hie ieee naaia. etc. 



Hie ieee nafiiii ala i a ai a" a" [twice] ie. 

^igiui qayikillgo; 5. Kaf Tcike-figini <:igini (piyikAlgo ; b;\- 



uiya aie. 
(i. Kos aga V^1z^gii• f i.i;iiu (jayikalgo ; bil- 
niya fii^. 

7. Tsivia ci cigeliye ifigiui qayikalgo; bi- 

niya ai&. 

8. Yiue ^oijlanegoo ^isitsaaye. 

Hie ieeii uaali\, etc. 



244. TransUttioti. — 1,5. Tcike-cac-niitlehi,Young Woman Who Becomes a Bear; Tcikfe- 
^ignii, Holy Young Woman, or young woman goddess; figiui qayikal, she journeyed 
seeking tbe gods; biluiya, she found them, she met them. 2, 6. Dsil, mountains; 
kos, clouds ; aga, peak, suunnit ; ^aza', many pointing upwards ; (dsil aga ^azagi, on 
many mountain peaks). 3, 7. Tsiipa, truly or true; cigel, my desideratiim, my special 
sacrifice. 4, ». ((!.'oi;U\ue^<>)oIa<fa, some one does not believe it ; ^isitsi, I have heard ; 
yane and other vocables are meaningless. 



MATTHEWS.) SONGS OF SEQUKXCE. 463 



'J45. Free Iruiislulio)!. 



Maid Who Becomes a Bear sought the gods 

and found them ; 
On the high niouutaiu peaks she sought 

the gods and I'ouud them ; 



Holy Young Woman sought the gods and 

found them : 
Ou the summits of the clouds she sought 

the gods and found them ; 



Truly with my sacritice she sought the ; Truly "ith my sacritice she sought the 

gods and found them. I gods and found them. 

Someb(«ly doubts it, so I have heard. , Somelioily doubts it, so I have heard. 

-H't. The.s« soug.s iire accoLQiniiiied, in beatiuj;- the drum, with a 
peculiai' .-iliarp strike like a sudden outburst or explosion. Hence, they 
say, the name, T.siu(('ilco'i Bigiu. 

•J-IT. FIlt.sT D.WLlGUr SOXG. 

Cahiz^ile, vahizyile, ya ahfiiu la" [four times]. 
1. Kaf Yikai-atiUecahiz^'ile, yaahaiala", : 7. Bizavi,'e iiojogo fahizfile, ya ahaia la", 
■i. Qaiyolka^e vahizctile, ya ahfiia la", i Cahizv';ile, vahiz?;ile, etc. 

3. Bitsidje yi>lkaigo fahiz(iile, ya ahala 

la", 8. Kaf yikai-.afev, fahizi^ile, ya ahaia la", 

4. Bikec(;eyolUalgofahiz(;ile,ya ahaia la". 9. Naqotsoiife fahiz(file, ya ahaia la". 

5. Bitsidje qi'jogo gahiz^ile, ya ahaia la", ' [Verses 3 to 7 are here repeated.] 

6. Bikecij'e qojcigo fahiz(file, ya ahaia la", | Caliiz^ile, fahiz^ule, etc. 

248. Translation. — Cahiz^ile^vi'l^'zcfel, it hangs as a curtain or festoon; it hangs 
supported at both ends, i. e., the white curtain of dawn so hangs. 1. Yikal-acike, 
the Daylight Boy, the Xavajo dawn god. 2. Qayolkalife, from the place of dawn. 
3. Bitsidje, before him ; yolkalgo, as it dawns, as the night passes away. 4. Bik&cife, 
from behind him. Qojogo, in a beautiful (earthly) manner. 7. Bizaf^'e, from his 
voice. H. Yikili-afef, the Daylight Girl — the dawn goddess. 9. Xaqotsoi<Se, from the 
land of yellow light (horizontal terrestrial yellow). 

249. Free Iraiislalion. 

The curtain of daybreak is hanging. Behind him, in beauty, it is hanging ; 

The Daylight Boy (it is hanging). From his voice, in beauty, it is hanging. 
From the land of day it is hanging; 

Before him, as it dawns, it is hanging; The Daylight Girl (it is hanging), 
Behind him, as it dawn.s, it is hanging. From the land of yellow light, it is hang- 
Before him, in beauty, il is hanging; ing, .S:c. (substituting her for him and 

his). 

250. LAST li.WLlGHT SO.NG. 

Loleyfee, Loleyee. Loleyce, Loleyfce. 

Loleyee, Loley&e. Yahaiee qanaai. 

1. Qayolkago, Loley&e. j 3. Kat aifa yiskago. Loleyee. 

2. Ka? Yikai-acikee. Loleyee. I 4. Kai; Yikai-ati-ce. Loleyee. 
Loleyee, Loleyee. Yahaiee, qanaai. , Loleyee, Loleyee. Yabiiiee, qanaai. 

251. Truitshiiion. — 1. Qayolkago, in the place of dawn. 2, 4. Yikai-acike and Yikal- 
a^ef. Daylight Boy and Daylight Girl (see paragraph 248). 3. A^a yiskago, it is day 
all around. Eefrain, loleye, lullaby, a meaningless expression to indicate sleepiness. 

252. Free Iraiislalion. 

Lullaby, lullaby. Now it is day. Lullaby. 

It is daybreak. Lullaby. ' Now comes the Daylight Girl. Lullaby. 

Now comes the Daylight Boy. Lnllaby. | 



464 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 



253. As the ihiyligbt sougs are snug just at dawn, in the corral, be- 
fore tbe dance ceases, their significance is apparent. 



OTHER SONGS AND EXTRACTS, 
a.'i-l. SONG OK THE I'ROPHKT Id IHE SA.V .IIA.N HIVEll. 



4. Bifb.visgo ciiii' if-.ei,a' 
Haiuiyoa, etc. 

r>. Nagal sa" bipoii-, iiagai (.oiiiliuie, 
G. Bifhylsgo ciui' ifeya" 
Haiuiyea, etc. 



Aiena. 

1. Nagai timiliuie, uagai conilinie, 

2. Biyliyisgo cliiV i^eya' 

Ha'iuiyfea, baiuiyiia, jiite nio baiue- 
yabe, oohe. 

* 

3. Nilgai ^roiiityelii', nagai ^oiiiliuie, 

255. Translation. — 1. Nagai, tliat; touiliiii, tiowiug water, a rivei-. -i, 4,tj. Bifhyis 
go, across it; cini', my miud; feya,', it goe.s, or, it comes, it wauders to or from. 
3. ^oiutyeli, broail water. 5. Sa" biyo, water of old age. 

25C. For origin and free transhition of this song, see paragraph 22. 

ii57. 80XG OK THE BL'ILDIXG OF THE DAKK UltCLK. 

Oe^ oea, e^ ea, be be ; 

Gea oea, ea eea, be be, ee ua" a. 
1. Dsilyi' Neyilni, cayoleli cayolfeli ; | 5. Teiki^-V^igini, cayoleli caynleli; 
'Z. Tcoyaj (|-ilbyili, cayoleli cayol&li ; j 6. Tcoyaj voliji, cayoleli cayoleli ; 
li. Tsica .alili, cayolcli cayol(>li ; i 7. Tsi^-a alili, cayob'-li cayoleli ; 

■I. Hija (figiiigo, cayoliili cayoleli. | 8. Bija I'igiugo, cayolfeli cayoleli. 

•2.'j8. Translation. — 1. D.siiyi'Neyani, Reared Witbin tbe Mountaius, tbe propbet wbo 
instituted tbese ceremonies; cayolMi, be carries [sometbing long and flexible, as a 
braucb or sapling] for me. 2, 6. Tcoyaj, a sprnce sapling, diminutive of tco, spruce ; 
(/■ilbyil, black; ?oIij, blue. 3, T. TsUa, alili (usually tsifa bialili), truly a dance im- 
plement. 4, H. Bija (|igingo (usually bija-yeifigingo), a boly treasure, a magic wand. 

259. Free translation. 



Roan^d Witbin tbe Mountains carries for 

me ; 
A black spruce sapling, be carries for me ; 
An implement of tbe rites, be carries for me; 
A boly treasure, be carries for me. 



Tbe Holy Young Wonuin carries for me ; 
A blue spruce sapling, sbe carries for me; 
An implement of tbe rites, sbe carries for 

me ; 
A boly treasure, sbe carries for me. 



200. The evergreen poles used in the dance and in making the "dark 
circles," to both of whieh this song probably refers, were, in all cases where 
.1 have observed them, made of pinon and not of spruce; but all dances 
I have witnessed were at altitudes of about six thousand feet, where 
pifion was abundant and spruce rare. In those jiortions of the Navajo 
country with which 1 am familiar the spruce (Fscudofsuya f/o«r//«A.v//) 
grows plentifully at the height of eight thousand feet, sparsely below 
that. There is good reason for believing tliat the sprut'C is the true 
sacred tree of these rites and that the ])iri(in is only a convenient sub 
stitute. The song is called Iliu'isjin Bcnira, "that witli which the dark 
circle is built." It is sung by Ihe .shaman at the eastern gate, while the 
young men are building the corral. (Paragraph 124.) I ha\e other 



MATTHlCWS.j 



OTHER S()N(;S OF DSILVID.TK QATAL, 



slightly difterent versions of it, i>r()liably .suitiibli' fur ditlereiit occasions. 
The ioiin given above is reciteil, under ordinary circiunstauces, when 
the patient is a woman. 



261. ritAYKi; To hsii.yi' neya.vi. 



1. Dsilji' Neyiiui! 

2. Dsil baua<;;i 1 

3. Tsilke! 

4. Naviini ! 

5. Nigt'l icla'. 
Xa^i-. bila'. 
CiUe ca;i('ilil. 
Citcap caii(5ilil. 

9. Cits&s caiifilil. 
10. Cini' caa(5ilil. 



6. 



«. 



11. Ciiit' ca;i('-ilil. 

12. Qfijogo (javalvi? acid'ilil. 

13. Citbiilje ([DJolel. 

14. C'ikece qnjolel. 
lo. Ciziif qaqojolel. 
1(). Qojoiii qasle. 
17. Qojuui qaslfe, 
l*^- Q<ij'>iii qasle, 
10. Qojoni qasle. 



2&i. TransUiiion. — 1. The name of the propliet. 2. Dsil, niiuintaius, banaji'i, chief 
(1)1- iua.ster) for tbein. 3. Tsilke, young man. 4. Navaui, chieftaiu. 5. Nigel, your 
peculiar sacrifice, i. e., the kef au ; icla', I have made. 0. Naife, a smoke, i. e., the 
cigarettes (paragraph 87), for you ; Lila', is made. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Cik^, my feet ; citcilv, 
my lower extremities; citses, luy body ; ciiii', my mind ; cinfe, my voice ; caaitilil, for 
me restore (as it was before) thou wilt. 12. Qojogo, in a beautiful manner ; qacalvi , 
repaired, mended; aciiiilil, restore ino thovi wilt. 13, 14. Citsidje, in the direction 
lieforeme; eikeife, frombehin<l me; (pijolel, wilt thou terrestrially beautify. 15. C'izaf, 
my words; qaqojolel, wilt thou ]icr.soiKilly beautify. 16, 17, 18, Ul. Qojcmi, in earthly 
beauty : (jasle, it is made, it is done. 

2(il5. In other j)rayers, closely resembling this in form, the shaiuaii 
adds : "Beautify all that is above me. Beautify all that is below me. 
Beautify all things around me." 

2G4. The division into verses i.s that of the chanter. He pronounces 
the name in the first line; the patient repeats it after him. Then he 
gives out the words in the second line, and so on. For free translation, 
see jiaragraidi SS. 



20.- 



.()X(i (IF TIIK UISINK sf.V l).\XCE. 



Oiiniyaye, oiiniyaye diiiiiyahe 
yahe yiihe licyiyoe [twice]. 

1. Qauai(;acce 

2. Tsilke-c'igini 

3. Katso-yisyani 

4. Yiyolnakoc 

r>. Qano qakoskii. 

6. Tcihanoaie 

7. Akos nisinle. 

Yahe, yahe eia ai. 



Oi'iniyaye, etc. 

8. Iiiaicac^^e 

9. Tcike-cigitii 

10. Awetsal-yisvani 

11. Yiyoluakbe 

12. ijaua ([(ikosko. 

13. Klehauoale 

14. Akos nisinle. 

YaUe, yahe eia ai. 



yiiC). Translation. — 1. Qanaivf^cye, from where it (the sun) rises. 2. Tsilke-i(Mgini, 
Holy Yiniiig Man. 3. Katso-yis(;ani, the great plumed arrow. 4, 11. Yiyolna', he 
.swallowcil slowly or continuously. 5, 12. Qano q.akosko, it couies out by degrees, 
(i. Tcihanoai, the sun. 7, 14. Akos nisiu, he is satisfied. 8. luai'vacfe, from where 
it sets. 9. Tciki!-i/'igini, Holy A'oung AVoman. 10. Awetsal-yisyani, prei>ared or 
plumed cliff rose, i. e., cliff rose arrow. 13. Klcluiuoai, the moon. 



.5 ETII- 



30 



466 



THE MOUNTAIN CHANT. 



2l'i7. Fnr tranvlation. 



Wlitre the sun rises, 
Tbo Holy Young Man 
The great- plumed arrow- 
Has swallowed 
And withdrawn it. 
The Run 
Is satisfied. 



Where the suu sets, 
The Holy Young Woman 
The cliff rose arrow 
Has swallowed 
And withdrawn it. 
The moon 
Is satisfied. 



2()8. This .song i.s sung tliiriiii>' the dance or alii described in para 
graph li2. The coucei)tion of the i)oet seems to be that, the dance of 
the great plumed arrow having been properly performed, the sun- 
should be satisfied and willing to do the bidding of the dancers, i. e., 
rise when desired, on the pole. 

•26i). INSTRUCTIONS (ilVK.V TO THE AKANINILI. 



1. QV betcilna uiri"lel. 

2. yi' ifa'uaniltyel^.'o. 

3. ^i' beuicioi)(ilsinlel. Aibiulgi uizfecfela'. 

4. (('a'yiltsisgo, (fa'ljokogo tse'ua akiln 

hyisiliinile. 



5. Tsi" etlol akan bilfhyis hyisifnuile ; ako 

bil^'hyis hyis(/:il5file. 

6. Tse' elkagi akan hyisifinile. 

7. Akoi k^tso-yisf an ; aibiuigi djo^ile, 

qoi|'.igiU(;e behoeqo(j;ilsiu. 



•270. Trandation.— i. Qi', this; belciiua, a thing to rise with (as you progress) ; uili"- 
lel, will make for yon. 2. Qi', this; 4a'niUiiltyfel<|;o, will carry yon along auywhere. 
3. Beniqoifilsiulel, by means of it people will know you ; aibinigi, lor this reason, or 
purpose ; nize, yonr neck ; i':ela', it hangs (once) around. 4. (Jia'yiltsisgo, at any little 
valley (yiltsis, a liitle v.alley); <|;a'bok6go, at any guUy or arroyo (boko', arroyo) ; 
tse'na, across; akan, meal ; hyis(|-iu"ile, he sprinkles always across. 5. Tsi" etlol, the 
root of a tree ; akan, meal ; batliyis, across it ; hyiscinlle, he sprinkles across ; ako, 
then ; hyiscfilvale, he steps across. 6. Tse' elkagi, on flat rocks ; akan, meal ; byis- 
i^inlle, he sprinkles across. 7. Akoi', then, next; kStso-yis^an, the great prepared 
arrow — so says the chanter, but ho really refers to the in^ia', or fobolga, the plumed 
wand -which ak;iuiuili carries ; aibinigi, for this purpose ; djofile, he carries it (in the 
hand); qo()^igin('.e, from a holy place (cigin, holy); beho6qo<Ml8in, by means of it 
people know him. 

271. For free translation, see paragraph 102. 



PHAYER OF THE rUOPIIKT Tl) HIS MASK. 



1. C/!a'audje qaha^idsigo angfelini, cili". 

2. Hyiniuilleui, cili°. 



3. Aya"i';a" focisyi'goifolelda, cili". 

4. Ca'iifciuilil. 



273. Translation. — 1. (l!a'an(lje, at any time to you ; qahasdsigo, when I spoke ; an- 
fMini, always you made or did it, i. e., granted my request or assisted me; cili", my 
domestic animal, my pet. 2. Ilyiniualeui, you were alive (once); cili", my pet. 
3. Ay;i"ita", be sure, take care; fo^(a, negative; cisyi'go, that I die; i|-olel, I desire, 
I beg (the divided negative inaki-s one word of the sentence). 4. Caiifinilil, watch 
thou for me, or over me. 



27i. For free translation, see paragra[>h 27. 



MATTHEWS.] 



OTHER TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS. 



4G7 



■275. L.\ST WORDS OF TUF. I'RilPIIET. 



1. Aqalilui, citslli. 

•2. C'akail\;e ye qo^ngiucje. 

3. (fJii'fonasicilsbl^a. 

4. Ca'boelfigo f'.aVeltcilgo, ua^ 

auila dsiuisinle, 



aiga ciuai 



(/la'uo'jngo ayac im|n(faliigo, auilfiliii 
in^'icfalagoiiagfuga cinai biuibiki'go- 
la' dsiuisinle. 



270. Trunslalion. — 1. Aqalaui, greeting (farewell, iu this case); citsili, my youuger 
lirotber. 2. Cakailve, for uie tbey have come; ye, tbe yays, tbe gods; qorigin^'e, 
from a boly or supernatural place. 3. ((J'a', any, on any occasion, etc. ; focfa, nega- 
tive; na, again; siij'ilsel, you will see me) ; <fa\rnnasi^'ilselifa, you will never see me 
again. 4. (/'a'boeltigo, on anj' occasion as tbo rain passes, i. e., whenever it rains: 
(fa'i/'eltcilgo, whenever it tbunderj ; nagiiiga, in that ; ciuai, my elder brother; an'ila, 
is his voice ; dsiuisinle, you will think so. 5. (fa'uo'rilgo, whenever tbey (crops) are 
ripening, j. e., in harvest time ; ayac, small l>irds ; in(j-i(j-alago, of all kinds; auil^ani, 
grasshoppers; uagfuga, iu that, iu those; ciniii, my elder brother; biuibikegola', is 
his ordering, bis design (the trail of bis mind) ; dsiuisinle, go you will think. 



277. For free traii.slatioi), see paragraph 79. 



'■?s^ 



* 



y 



'>- y 



.^■^ ''^ 



v-e-' 



'.. ,,^ 



CO' 









•^,. 






r- .VN- 






c^- 



■^ -^. v^ 



v^-^ -^<-._. 



\- » ' " " / ^ 



^■^ 






^' 






% '^^,^' ^ 

^''--^.^^ 



•XN^ 



\. ./. 



^. <^^ 



s^ ■<>_ 



c^ -<> 



.^■^. 



I = -s-^ 


V 






^. ^ ^ ■ ■ 


' '^ -c^o"^ 


^^^.. 


/ ,^-^ ■% 











^^,<^^ 



<c- ■ ' ^ .0' 'O 



o- 



.^% 



'■f- 


-N" O >■- ' ^^ 


%. 




0" 






C- V ♦ '■ 




<-/ ^ .;■ .. <^- 








.' .^\. : 



,■0- . '■ ■^ ■■ « 



V^ 



:«-. '*,. # 



V » \V 



■"^ ■ • ,^!-■ 



'^. '. ^-- s^' % ■"; ■^^■- 



'>, '- . ' 









^. .^ : 



\>' '/V 



,^^■ 



^ ..^• 



,vV^' -^r.. 



%^ 



-- 


^y. 


^ ' ' 


'-' '^o ^ 


■\o^ 


x^' 






^■^ 




y. ' ■- s, o 


\^- 






\. «- ' ' 


,A- 




V-- 




'*/ ; 




%,^ 


»' 4 ■'■■>' • 


^^■•\-, 




^x^'-^ 


- '*" 


cs- ^, 




- .•?- 


<• " ' '.' '. - - 


, . -^.^ 


'./ 


' ^ * <^' , s , 


•> 




c:^- y:^-i 





A^ 









0- 





'o 0^ 




,-^ 'C 


\. . 


- \^ ' 




/\.„ 


^ 


\' ^-J 


'^^- .^■ 


* rJ ' '^"^ ' 


/^^ 


7< 


V 


^ -v . 



>. v*^ 



1 






^•^.^ 












>* 


.'V 


^ 








"^^ 


s'^" 










.xx^^' 


■>-, 


/ 










^ e- 






\ 






-J 






\ 




" * 


V- 




,^^^ 






1^ 




y- 


y 








■^ 


^0 


o 











x..^ 



.^' ■'■■', 



,\ 



o ■'^i. 



' .-^ <- -.'-•■. ', ^ >-■ 

.-^ _ '.VI ^' ^/ ^ 



\^ 



>-■?■' 



'■•. V- A^^ 



" .0- 



vV 



>■ 






'-^^ 



■s- \ 



x^'^ 



^^^■•\.^'vcv:^ . 






.0- > 



'y- V? 



